Atlanta routs New York in MLS East final opener
Josef Martinez, Franco Escobar and Hector Villalba scored and Atlanta United blew out the Supporters’ Shield-winning New York Red Bulls 3-0 on Sunday in the opening leg of the MLS Eastern Conference finals.
Atlanta gave itself a huge edge heading into the second leg Thursday night in Harrison, N.J. The winner of the two-game, cumulative-goals series will host the MLS Cup final Dec. 8 against either Portland or Sporting Kansas City.
Before a crowd of 70,016 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, United defeated the Red Bulls for the first time in franchise history after three losses and a draw in their previous meetings. Atlanta also gave itself a bit of redemption after losing the Supporters’ Shield to New York on the final day of the regular season.