9/24/17
Atlanta United Extends Streak to 11 Unbeaten Home Matches
With every match from here on out looking to carry a lot more importance, Atlanta United has answered the call during their home stand and have yet to be beaten at both Bobby Dodd and Mercedes Benz Stadium the past 11 matches.
The next opponent on the schedule was the Montreal Impact who had just recently beaten #1 seed Toronto FC 5-3. With their sights set on a playoff spot they came into Atlanta expecting a victory and 3 points. They were surely mistaken.
On a night where Josef Martinez wasn’t on his game and Miguel Almiron left after a hamstring injury early in the match, ATL looked for someone to step up and be the leader. In doing so, Hector Villalba came on the scene with a shot from way outside the box for a goal in the 28th minute.
After controlling most of the 1st half possession ATL went into halftime with a 1-0 lead. The 2nd half is where the intensity built up, Montreal looked full of life and controlled the ball a lot more often then ATL in hopes of tying the match 1 a piece. As they continued to push forward, ATL went on a run and was able to score in the 73rd minute, courtesy of veteran Jeff Larentowicz who finally scored his 1st goal as part of the club.
Following that goal, the Montreal Impact slowly became physically defeated as they saw the match slip away from them. The final whistle blew after an additional 3 minutes of stoppage time was enforced and Atlanta United won 2-0.
With this victory, Atlanta moves to the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference Standings and look ahead to playing against Philadelphia Union on Wednesday September 27th at 7pm.
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