Atlanta United Falls 3-1 to Columbus Crew

Atlanta United fell 3-1 to Columbus Crew on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as a second-half surge from the visitors proved decisive despite a goal from Alexey Miranchuk, his fourth of the season.

The first half was a tight, low-chance affair, with neither side able to generate consistent attacking momentum. Atlanta’s best opportunity came through Steven Alzate, whose long-range attempt was spilled by Patrick Schulte, but Columbus reacted quickly to clear the danger. At the other end, Lucas Hoyos came up with two key saves to keep the match level heading into halftime.

The game opened up after the break, and Columbus struck quickly to take control. In the 48th minute, Wessam Abou Ali rose to meet a cross from Max Arfsten, heading it into the bottom left corner to give the Crew the lead. Just five minutes later, Abou Ali doubled his tally with a well-placed strike from distance that found the top corner, leaving Hoyos with no chance.

Atlanta responded in the 60th minute with a well-worked sequence. After sustained build-up at the top of the box, Elías Báez forced a save from Schulte, with Miguel Almirón’s follow-up also denied before the ball fell to Miranchuk, who finished to pull one back for the home side.

The momentum was short-lived, however, as Columbus immediately restored its two-goal cushion. In the 61st minute, Andres Herrera delivered a cross across the six-yard box to Max Arfsten, who finished from close range to make it 3-1.

From there, Atlanta pushed to find a way back into the match but struggled to create clear-cut chances. Hoyos made a couple of important stops late to keep the deficit at two, while Atlanta’s attack couldn’t break through the Columbus back line in the closing stages. In stoppage time, head coach Tata Martino was shown a red card following an incident on the sideline.

Despite the result, the match featured a notable milestone as Homegrown midfielder Will Reilly made his season debut, while fellow Homegrown midfielder Jay Fortune also saw his first action of the season as a second-half substitute.

Atlanta United (1-4-1, 4 points) now turns its attention to its next fixture, traveling to face Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field on Saturday, April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET.