Atlanta United will try to continue their ascent in the Eastern Conference standings when they visit CF Montreal on Saturday.
After missing the playoffs last season, the Five Stripes (8-5-8, 32 points) are in seventh place after a 2-0 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Union on Sunday.
CF Montreal (8-10-2, 26 points), which reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last year, are in ninth after a 1-0 loss to the visiting New York City FC on July 1, ending their three-match (2-0-1) unbeaten streak.
Thiago Almada’s blast from just beyond the top of the penalty box gave Atlanta United a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute before he assisted on Brooks Lennon’s goal in the 79th minute that secured the win.
Almada has eight goals, including an MLS-high six from beyond the 18-yard penalty box. His 10 assists are tied with Columbus’ Cucho for the league lead.
“Today, in MLS, any team can beat any team on a given day,” Almada said July 1. “But we’re strong, and we responded in that way today, and I think this is the path we have to stay on.”
Atlanta is led by Giorgos Giakoumakis’ 10 goals, but the forward left with a hamstring injury in the 30th minute against the Union and is questionable for Saturday.
Meantime, CF Montreal outshot NYCFC 11-7, but they put just three shots on target, while the visitors had seven shots on frame, including Matias Pellegrini’s decisive strike in the 33rd minute. Montreal had possession for 58 percent of the match.
Pellegrini’s goal was the first conceded at home by Montreal since a loss to D.C. United on April 15 — a span of 797 minutes.
“They came into this game with a very organized game plan, and finding the spaces was very difficult, but I think we gave it our all,” Montreal coach Hernan Losada said. “I think we played better than in some games where we ended up winning. It just didn’t go our way (tonight).”
Chinoso Offor and Romell Quioto lead Montreal with three goals apiece, but Quioto has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for the past nine games and isn’t expected to play on Saturday.
–Field Level Media