NYCFC announces day, time of Eastern Conference playoff game

It’s official: New York City FC will host Atlanta United on Sunday, November 21 at 3 pm for the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Or, as the NYCFC social media manager put it so emojily on Twitter:

The rivals met twice during the regular season.

On June 23, NYCFC defeated Atlanta United in the Bronx 1-0 on a goal from Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.

On October 20, the teams drew 1-1 in Atlanta thanks to a lacerating free-kick from Gudmundur Thórarinsson in the 90’ that not only tied the match, it broke a four-game scoring drought that threatened to kill off NYCFC’s playoff hopes. This game ranks high on NYCFC’s all-time list of DTFLWs, Draws That Feel Like a Win.

More than that, the playbook-perfect Thórarinsson goal was one of the turning points of 2021, the catalyst for the end-of-season form that saw NYCFC climb the table and Taty Castellanos win the Golden Boot.

Thórarinsson’s kick was so expertly-placed it's worth watching again. Bonus: Angry Brad Guzan is the most entertaining Brad Guzan.

We’ll take more of that, please.