Cucho Hernandez scored in each half to lead the host Columbus Crew to a 2-0 win over Atlanta United on Wednesday in the opening match of their best-of-three Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Hernandez made it 1-0 in the first minute of first-half stoppage time and doubled the lead with a penalty kick in the 51st for the third-seeded Crew. Atlanta is seeded sixth.
The second match will be played in Atlanta on Tuesday, with a third match, if necessary, in Columbus on Nov. 12.
The Crew are 10-0-3 in their past 13 home games.
Hernandez, coming off a 16-goal regular season, roofed a shot past Brad Guzan for the Crew’s 37th goal in the first half this season, the most in MLS, to the delight of the sellout crowd of 20,176 that braved 38-degree weather at kickoff.
Aidan Morris won the ball in his own final third and sent a pass to midfield for Diego Rossi, who spotted Hernandez down the left flank. Hernandez outraced two defenders and fired a left-footed shot from a tight angle.
The Crew led 9-0 in shots in the first half and had three on target with the first two, from Darlington Nagbe in the 19th and Alexandru Matan in the 32nd, resulting in comfortable stops for Guzan. The Atlanta goalie finished with six saves.
Atlanta’s hopes for a fast start to the second half evaporated when defender Ronald Hernandez stepped on the foot of Matan in the box. Cucho Hernandez then improved to 6-for-6 from the spot this season.
He has 12 goals in his past nine matches.
Atlanta was without Thiago Almada, a finalist for the MLS MVP and Young Player of the Year awards with 11 goals and 19 assists, after he received a red card in the regular-season finale against FC Cincinnati.
Ajani Fortune had Atlanta’s only shot, in the 64th minute. It was wide of the right post as Patrick Schulte did not have to make a save for the Crew.
–Field Level Media
