It was another championship celebration for Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Jeff Larentowicz and Josef Martinez scored six minutes apart in the second half to help lift the defending MLS Cup champions to a 3-2 win over Club America and capture the second edition of the Campeones Cup on August 14, 2019.
The match was played at a frenetic pace with both teams probing for goals throughout the scintillating and intense 90 minutes.
It took just five minutes for the first goal to be scored as Emerson Hyndman was played behind by Dion Pereira and finished low inside the far post to put Atlanta in front. The goal was the final touch of a sensational sequence that saw the Five Stripes slice apart Club America’s press with one and two-touch passes.
After putting an open shot off the crossbar four minutes earlier, Renato Ibarra leveled in the 13th minute for the Mexican side. Roger Martinez danced along the endline and cut the ball back to an open Ibarra, who put his shot in off the crossbar.
Atlanta United had a golden chance to take a lead into the break as Josef Martinez stepped to the penalty spot when it was ruled following Video Review that Bruno Valdez connected with Pity Martinez in the box.
But after his trademark run-up, Martinez was denied by Oscar Jimenez, who leapt to his left to parry away the low shot in the 41st minute.
The second half picked up where things left off in the opening 45 minutes. Martinez latched onto a Francisco Cordova corner kick and tapped in his second attempt after Hyndman initially cleared off the line to give Club America its first lead in the 57th minute.
But the Five Stripes leveled a minute later on a wonderstrike by Larentowicz, a low deflected laser past a rooted Jimenez.
Josef Martinez made up for his saved first-half penalty kick by converting from the spot in the 65th minute. He shed the run-up and fired into the side netting after Guido Rodriguez took down Florentin Pogba with a sloppy sliding tackle.
Pity Martinez nearly doubled Atlanta’s lead with a free kick four minutes later, but it was headed off the line by Bruno Valdez, who was sent off for a second bookable offense in the 72nd minute.
GOALS
5’ — ATL — Emerson Hyndman
13’ — CA — Renato Ibarra
57’ — CA — Roger Espinoza
59’ — ATL — Jeff Larentowicz
65’ — ATL — Josef Martinez (PK)
