Atlanta United finally earned their first win over the New York Red Bulls, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Josef Martinez and Franco Escobar scored on either side of halftime, while Hector Villalba added a third in second-half-stoppage time, as Five Stripes grabbed a well-earned 3-0 victory in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The win gives Atlanta a strong advantage heading into the second leg of the series against the Supporters' Shield winners, which is set to take place at Red Bull Arena on Thursday.
After a closely-fought opening spell, Atlanta started to come into the game more as space opened up and were rewarded just after the half-hour mark.