Atlanta United host Columbus Crew at Mercedes-Benz Stadium August 19, 2018 (Photo: Jim Stapp)
Late scoring surge leads to 3-1 victory.
Atlanta use late goals from Héctor “Tito” Villalba and Miguel Almirón to down the Columbus Crew 3-1 in front of 45,191 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Josef Martínez scored the first goal of the match. That goal tied the record for most goals in an MLS season with his 27th goal. This also marked his eighth consecutive match with a goal, one shy of tying the league’s all-time record of nine, held by Diego Valeri.
The win was key for Atlanta as it marks the last home match for a month. The win also wipes out the bitter taste from the Toronto draw in their last match. More importantly it moves them back to the top of the Supporters Shield race with a three point lead on New York Red Bulls. Atlanta United head coach Tata Martino spoke to the importance of this match, “So it was important for us and I have the feeling that as we get closer to the end of the season that all of these results are going to be very important to separate us.”
The match was a back-and-forth-affair, there were a lot of opportunities on both sides. Columbus came in with a game plan to possess the ball and play an open style looking to score. There were 31 shots taken by both sides and the possession about even with Atlanta holding a slight edge with 52% to the Crew’s 48%. After 75 minutes of play the match was tied 1-1 and it was a thrilling game with tactical adjustments made by each coach.
Scoring Details
Atlanta United 1 – Columbus Crew SC 0 — Josef Martínez (Julian Gressel) 31′
Atlanta United midfielder Julian Gressel anticipated a pass at midfield to trigger the counterattack. Josef Martínez took the ball and drove right at a pair of Columbus defenders using their position to shield him from Crew goalkeeper Zack Steffen. He took the shot with his weaker left-foot, and drilled it past Steffan into the corner from 18-yards out.
Atlanta United 1 – Columbus Crew SC 1 — Gyasi Zardes (Wil Trapp) 50′
Columbus drew even on blast from Gyasi Zardes. Wil Trapp sent a long ball through to Zardes about 25 yards out, who turned and beat Atlanta goalie Brad Guzan to the right corner.
Atlanta United 2 – Columbus Crew SC 1 — Tito Villalba (Jeff Larentowicz) 76′
Tito Villalba made a remarkable run from midfield after a controversial no-call hand ball on Jeff Larentowicz. As the Crew was pleading their case, Villalba receiving a pass at the midfield line, and outran Columbus defenders down the right sideline and into the box. He then dribbled past two more defenders as he crossed the front of the goal. He fired back toward the far post, through a defenders legs and beat Steffen.
Atlanta United 3 – Columbus Crew SC 1 — Miguel Almirón (Josef Martínez , Tito Villalba) 82′
Almirón scored his first goal in seven games, when Villalba again made a drive down the right wing. He leveled a low cross for Martínez who queued up a slow roller on top of the 18 yard box for a streaking Almirón. Almirón bounced a shot from his left-foot into the left corner to beat a diving Steffen.
Personnel Details
The three musketeers: Almirón, Martínez & Villalba.
The match marked only the third time that Miguel Almirón, Josef Martínez and Tito Villalba have all scored in the same game. The first time it happened was against Columbus last season at Bobby Dodd Stadium (6/17/17) in a 3-1 win. The dynamic trio also scored in the home opener this season against D.C. United (3/11/18) in a 3-1 win.
Atlanta United host Columbus Crew at Mercedes-Benz Stadium August 19, 2018 (Photo: Jim Stapp)
Tito Villalba spoke after the game on switching from the left to the right and whether he’s more comfortable there: “Just like you said it was kind of like a goal from FIFA when I play with Atlanta. I play with myself or Miguel (Almirón), and we make runs like that.” He went on to talk about his current form , “I’m in a good moment. I think my teammates are always on top of me, supporting me. I think the communication we have on the field is really good, and they allow me to move freely during the game and go wherever I want to go.”
Atlanta United forward Tito Villalba looks for space to run against the Columbus Crew at Mercedes-Benz Stadium August 19, 2018 (Photo: Jim Stapp)(Photo: Jim Stapp)
Ezequiel Barco returned to the pitch for the first time in four matches. He did not start but he did see about 15 minutes plus stoppage time. He received a warm response from the crowd and was very active but did not factor into any of the scoring. The absence signals the potential closure to what could have had negative impact on the locker-room. However, it does not seem that there is any on-field concerns. Barco spoke to the media, and expressed his feelings about getting back on the pitch, “I’m really happy to get back out there. I think it was even more important for us to get the win as a team, but I’m happy to get back on the field.”
Reigning rookie of the year Julian Gressel, added his ninth assist of the season with the Martínez goal. The German midfielder has now equaled his assist total from his rookie season last year. After the match he spoke about being a part of history with his assist to Martínez, “I just saw the play develop, and I knew I had to tuck in. That’s kind of what we talked about before the game. I figured I could get there if he plays the pass, and then he actually did play the pass. The guy didn’t see me coming, and I just cut in front of him, and it was a clear counterattack. I gave the ball to Josef and then, I made a run myself and he either gives it back to me or scores it. It’s great.”
Atlanta United midfielder Julian Gressel is building on his successful rookie season with 9 assist this season. Atlanta United host Columbus Crew at Mercedes-Benz Stadium August 19, 2018 (Photo: Jim Stapp)
Line-ups
Atlanta United
- GK: Brad Guzan
- Defenders (3): Chris McCann, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Michael Parkhurst
- Midfielders (2): Jeff Larentowicz, Eric Remedi
- Forwards (3): Tito Villalba (Kevin Kratz – 85’), Miguel Almirón (Miles Robinson – 90+1’), Julian Gressel (Ezequiel Barco – 74’)
- Forwards (1): Josef Martínez
Unused Substitutes
- Alec Kann, Jose Hernandez, Andrew Carleton, Romario Williams
Columbus Crew SC
- GK: Zack Steffen
- Defenders (4): Héctor Jiménez, Lalas Abubakar, Jonathan Mensah, Harrison Afful
- Midfielders (2): Artur, Wil Trapp
- Midfielders (2): Pedro Santos (Luis Argudo – 86’), Federico Higuaín (Patrick Mullins – 70’), Edward Opoku (Justin Meram – 70’)
- Forward (1): Gyasi Zardes
Unused Substitutes
- Jon Kempin, Ricardo Clark, Josh Williams, Milton Valenzuela
Up Next
Atlanta United returns to action Friday, Aug. 24 when it travels south to Orlando to take on the Lions at 8:00 p.m. This is the first of a four match road trip.
