MLS Sunday Recap: Atlanta United Wins Home Opener Before Record Crowd, NYCFC Beats Galaxy
ATLANTA (AP)—Miguel Almiron scored a goal and set up another about two minutes apart in the second half, leading Atlanta United to a 3-1 victory over D.C. United before a record crowd of 72,035 on Sunday.
In its home opener, Atlanta broke its own single-game mark of 71,874 for a game against Toronto last October in its debut season. United has now drawn three crowds of more than 70,000 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where fans crammed into standing-room-only decks behind one goal.
Atlanta bounced back from a 4-0 loss at Houston in its season opener.
Josef Martinez scored in the 24th minute off a pass from Hector Villalba through the legs of Washington defender Steve Birnbaum.
Almiron took control in the second half, sealing the victory for Atlanta with a goal in the 73rd and a pass that set up Villalba's header that found the net in the 75th.
NYCFC 2, L.A. 1
NEW YORK (AP)—Anton Tinnerholm had his first MLS goal and David Villa scored another to help New York City FC beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 on Sunday.
Tinnerholm blasted a left-footed volley to give NYCFC (2-0-0) the lead in the 22nd minute. Villa's cross, off a feed from Jesus Medina, deflected high off Michael Ciani and Tinnerholm, a 27-year-old defender from Sweden, rifled it off the crossbar.
Sean Johnson made a diving save of a sliding half-volley by Ola Kamara in the 27th and Villa made it 2-0 in the 33rd. Medina, on a counter-attack breakaway, touched it around a defender and then fed a left-footed cross to Ben Sweatt, whose shot from near the spot was stopped by a charging David Bingham. Villa tapped the rebound into the open net.
Jonathan dos Santos, from point-blank range, re-directed a cross from Emmanuel Boateng past Johnson to cap the scoring in the 60th.
New York City, which has lost just two regular-season home matches since June 2, 2016, outshot the Galaxy (1-1-0) 20-7.
