Atlanta United doesn't beat New York. Here's why today might be different

except for that one time. and technically that other time last season.

Up until last season, Atlanta United had never, ever, beaten the New York Red Bulls in a regular season game. The Five Stripes went 12 games without a win against New York. That’s tied for the longest stretch of pain against a single team in MLS history. The Tampa Bay Mutiny are the only other team to go 12 winless and they don’t even exist anymore. So.

Fortunately for Atlanta United, they didn’t make MLS history last season. On April 1, 2023, Giorgos Giakoumakis’ eighth-minute goal powered Atlanta United to a win that may have just been New York playing one of the funniest April Fools pranks ever.

Things got back to normal later in the year though. On the return trip to New York, people named “Daniel Edelman,” “Cristian Cásseres” and “Frankie Amaya” all scored for the Red Bulls in a 4-0 romp. Atlanta put up five shots on the day despite 66% possession.