Yamil Asad had a hand in all four Atlanta United goals in lifting the team to a 4-0 win against the L.A. Galaxy on Wednesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
He scored two goals and assisted on goals by Josef Martinez and Miguel Almiron, all in the first half, to give the Five Stripes (13-8-7) a win that leaves them with 46 points this season and moves them into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The team has one loss in its past 12 games. It has eight shutouts this season.
Atlanta United has scored 17 goals in four games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where it is 3-0-1. It is 9-2-2 at home this season. The team will host Montreal, which is fighting to be one of the six teams from the East to make the playoffs, on Sunday.
After being outplayed through the first 12 minutes, Atlanta United grabbed a 1-0 lead when Asad beat Rafael Garcia and put in a cross that Martinez needed only to poke into the goal in the 13th minute. It was Martinez’s 17th goal this season and eighth in past four games. It was Asad’s 11th assist.
Atlanta United made the score 2-0 on a goal by Asad in the 16th minute. His shot came after one by Almiron was blocked. The sequence started with Anton Walkes hitting a pass between Ashley Cole’s legs for Hector Villalba to run onto. His shot was palmed away by Jon Kempin and landed at Almiron’s feet.
Asad made the score 3-0 in the 21st minute on connecting passes from Almiron to Hector Villalba, whose pass across the goal was met by Asad from 6 yards out. It was Asad’s sixth goal this season.
The Galaxy were reduced to 10 men in the 39th minute when Jermaine Jones was given a red card for appearing to stomp on Villalba’s back after he tackled the German-American and tripped him with his trailing leg. It was the second consecutive Wednesday night game at Mercedes-Benz in which at least one opposing player has received a red card. New England had two players thrown out in last week’s 7-0 thumping by Atlanta.
The Five Stripes needed less than a minute to take advantage. From more than 50 yards away, Amil played a through pass for Almiron, who blew past Michael Ciani before chipping Kempin. It was Almiron’s ninth goal and Asad’s 12th assist.
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