FLUSHING, NY — Bénie Traoré was a late season addition to NYCFC. A significant one with striking ability at the age of 23 and a native of the Ivory Coast. 

Wednesday night at Citi Field with NYCFC hanging by a thread for playoff hopes, he got an opportunity and chance in front of him. 

Coach Pascal Jansen in second half stoppage time made the move, Traoré, in for Hannes Wolf, raced off the bench and to the pitch. NYCFC needed momentum and they got it, securing a 2-1 win, as Traoré got the ball from outside and scored his second goal as the new addition.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time Wednesday night in Queens, head coach Pascal Jansen made one final change, introducing Bénie Traoré for Hannes Wolf which proved to be an inspired change with Traoré producing a fantastic curled effort that left Atlanta United FC no chance to respond – Image Credit: Alan Bautista/Latino Sports

Nicolás Fernández opened the scoring with a nice free kick in the 70th minute, a momentum builder. And the Traoré goal was another momentum builder coming moments after Breel Embolo equalized the score for Atlanta United FC late in the second half.

Playoff hopes alive, NYCFC for the first time at Citi Field won a game this season. Their late scoring drought the last month for now comes to an end. More importantly NYCFC had more intensity and chances at the net. Momentum on their side too—though they are still a longshot—sitting 12th in the MLS Eastern Conference and fighting for that final ninth playoff spot.

Atlanta FC was eliminated with their slim playoff hopes and with two final games remaining— this Saturday afternoon in their final home game at Citi Field against Montreal and Decision Day on the road versus D.C. United a week from Saturday—NYCFC has a battle for that final spot. 

A draw won’t do it, but six points could.

With Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Atlanta United FC at Citi Field, NYCFC now sit 12th in the Eastern Conference MLS Standings at 9-12-11 (38 points) – Image Credit: Alan Bautista/Latino Sports

Must wins they are and based on how others fare in the standings, Toronto and their rival Red Bulls losing also will factor into the equation. The goals came and followed a 2-2 draw at Orlando last Sunday, a second half Jonathan Shore equalizer off the bench in stoppage time.

That could have been the momentum builder for NYCFC, a team that has been a second half season of disappointment after World Cup play and a long hiatus.

“Not only this game you saw it Saturday late with Johnny (Shore) the fighting spirit has always been there,” said Jansen. “But sometimes you need a little spark in order to get it going again. They (Atlanta) were very aggressive, and we were not recognizing enough to disconnect their momentum.”

In their tightly contested affair vs. NYCFC Wednesday, Atlanta United FC’s Breel Embolo answered with the equalizer in the 88th minute, using a header to score for the fourth time in his first 10 MLS matches – Image Credit: Alan Bautista/Latino Sports

Jansen said there had to be a difference in attacking after the first half, it worked as NYCFC was more aggressive, a contrast from the last month. In essence they put up a fight with playoff hopes in the balance.

“Hopefully a lot more of these moments will come,” said Jansen. “This was a massive moment for Beni, a massive moment for the team.”

And without forward Alonso Martínez who had to leave the pitch, his fifth start since returning from surgery to his knee, Jansen inserted a taller Talles Magno who added to the attack to stop Atlanta. There is still precaution and Jansen expects Martínez to be ready Saturday.

The moves presented a challenge for the coach, his NYCFC squad responded during this first of three important final games.

Fans of The Boys in Blue will be locked in, fully supporting NYCFC, with two regular season matches remaining, as the club attempts to sneak their way into the MLS Cup Playoffs – Image Credit: Alan Bautista/Latino Sports

There was a difference that leads to momentum and optimism, though percentages still say NYCFC has to win outright.

As for Traoré, the goal he said came with different techniques used in a practice session this past Tuesday. It resulted in the biggest goal of his young and brief tenure with NYCFC that extended those playoff hopes.

“It’s really important,” he said of Wednesday’s win. “We need to give everything. In this game you’re going to focus game by game. Everybody is fighting to change things, we have to be at the top.”

THAT'S WHAT HE CAN DO 🇨🇮💫 pic.twitter.com/hNTsbJAou0

— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) October 29, 2026

Traoré worked on the strategy to make a difference, off the bench in that moment resulted in NYCFC still in play. A loss or another draw could have defined a season ending possibility going into Saturday. Instead they play for more, a defining 90 minutes awaits.

“Even though they are finished, they won’t hand it over on the silver plan, they have to fight for it,” Jansen said about Montreal.

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