Atlanta beat Portland to seize MLS Cup crown in 2nd season

ATLANTA: Atlanta United won the Major League Soccer title in its second season of existence, defeating the Portland Timbers 2-0 in the MLS Cup final on Saturday. Atlanta’s MLS Most Valuable Player Josef Martinez led the way in front of a league-record crowd of 73,019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium, opening the scoring in the 39th minute with his 35th goal of the 2018 campaign.

Argentine defender Franco Escobar doubled the score in the 54th minute as Atlanta made coach Gerardo “Tata”

Martino’s last match at the helm a victory before he departs to take over as coach of Mexico.

“If I had to choose a way to leave somewhere, this is the best way,” a beaming Martino said. “We won it, it feels good,” added Martino, who endured bitter Copa America disappointments with Argentina in 2015 and 16.

Atlanta pressed from the beginning. Martinez was sent tumbling by a challenge from Larrys Mabiala in the penalty area but play was waved on and VAR backed up the call. Atlanta’s Miguel Almiron had a clear chance in the 29th minute from a cross from Greg Garza but Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella dived right to swat the shot away.

Ten minutes later Atlanta seized the lead as a sliding Michael Parkhurst sent the ball toward the penalty area and Martinez beat Liam Ridgewell at the top of the box then rounded Attinella to slot the ball into an empty net.

Four minutes later Atlanta keeper Brad Guzan denied Portland’s first real chance, set up by Sebastian Blanco’s cross to Jeremy Ebobisse. Ebobisse’s close-range header

was pushed away by Guzan to keep it 1-0 at the interval.

The Timbers pushed forward early in the second half, but found themselves 2-0 down after 54 minutes. Martinez won a free kick, then appeared at the near post to flick on Almiron’s service into the path of Franco Escobar, who fired into the bottom corner.

The contest boasted a distinctly South American flavor. Martino’s opposite number at Portland was former Venezuelan international Giovanni Savarese. Atlanta’s squad featured eight players from South American and Portland’s nine.

Savarese said he was proud of his side. “It was not just Josef Martinez’s game, it was a good game for his team, it was also a good game for us, I think everyone in the stadium has seen a good match today,” Savarese said.

“I would not change anything, I think we did a good job, I think we did not have the fortune to score at the right moments, I think our second half was fantastic, we fought a lot to try to achieve the result we wanted.”—AFP