Sixteen-year-old Serge Ngoma became the youngest major scorer in the Major League Soccer this season, scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute as the New York Red Bulls rallied late for a 2-1 win over Atlanta United Thursday night in Harrison, New Jersey.
Nujoma, playing in his fourth game in the MLS, entered the match in the 69th minute for Amir Fernandez and put on an unforgettable defensive display to determine the decisive result.
Nujoma intercepted a pass from Atlanta’s Alan Franco, passed defender Alex de John and hit the ball with his right foot from the center of the penalty area to the lower right corner of the net.
Before the New Jersey native scored the winning goal, Lewis Morgan scored the equalizer with a penalty kick in the 83rd minute.
Morgan moved for the third time from the penalty spot this season after Lokenhas was forced to enter from Atlanta defender Caleb Wiley. Morgan scored his eighth goal with ease by leading with a left-footed shot that landed in the middle of the net.
The late rise helped the Red Bulls (8-5-5, 29 points) to their third consecutive home win and go on to tie for the first time in the Eastern Conference with Montreal and Philadelphia Union.
Joseph Martinez scored a goal in a stampede in the 75th minute after entering the match 12 minutes before.
After the Red Bulls failed to clear the rebound from Atlanta’s right-footed Emerson Hyndman, Martinez grabbed the rebound and fired a right-footed shot from very close to the bottom right corner.
New York goalkeeper Carlos Coronel saved two goals, including a diving stop on Ronaldo Cisneros in the 53rd minute.
Atlanta goalkeeper Rocco Rios Nova stopped one shot in his fourth career start as United (5-7-4, 19 points) saw their unbeaten streak in six games (0-5-1).
Atalanta’s only shot in the first half occurred in the 31st minute when Coronel saved Luis Araujo’s left shot from the center of the penalty area.
New York’s only shot occurred in the 41st minute, but Rios Novo stopped a header attempt from Patrick Klimala.
