United captures MLS Cup for Atlanta’s first title since ’95

Josef Martinez and Franco Escobar scored goals, Brad Guzan came up with a couple of clutch saves and Atlanta United gave the city its first title since 1995 with a 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup final Saturday night.

Cheered on by the largest crowd in franchise history, United captured the crown in just its second season to set off a huge celebration. Owner Arthur Blank got to lift the trophy, just under three years after his other team, the NFL’s Falcons, squandered a 25-point lead in an epic Super Bowl collapse.

Martinez, capping the greatest goal-scoring season in MLS history, put United ahead in 39th minute. Escobar added an insurance goal in the 54th, a sending coach Tata Martino out with a title in his final game as coach. He’s reportedly headed to Mexico to take over as that country’s national coach.

Atlanta reveled in its first title since the Braves won the 1995 World Series — a gap of 8,442 days.

The Timbers were denied their second MLS championship after winning the cup in 2015.

Since major league sports came to Atlanta in 1966, the only other team to win a championship in one of the five major sports also came on the soccer pitch. The Atlanta Chiefs claimed the title in the North American Soccer League’s inaugural season in 1968.

While that team laid the groundwork, Atlanta United carried the sport to unprecedented levels in North America. The team shattered the MLS attendance record a year ago in its first season, and then took the mark even higher by averaging more than 53,000 per game this year a level of support that would fit right in with the Premier League or La Liga.