Columbus Crew picked up their first win of the 2026 MLS season on Saturday night, using a second-half surge to beat Atlanta United 3-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After a quiet first half with limited clear chances on both sides, the match flipped immediately after the break. Columbus came out sharper and found the opener in the 48th minute when Wessam Abou Ali got on the end of a cross and headed home to make it 1-0. Just five minutes later, he struck again with a finish from outside the box, giving the Crew full control of the match early in the second half.
Atlanta eventually found a response in the 60th minute. After a sequence inside the box led to multiple efforts on goal, Alexey Miranchuk cleaned up the loose ball and finished to cut the deficit to 2-1. It was Miranchuk’s fourth goal of the season and, for a moment, it looked like Atlanta had a way back into the match.
That hope did not last long. Columbus answered almost immediately, with Max Arfsten finishing from close range in the 61st minute after a ball was played across the face of goal. The quick response restored the two-goal cushion and killed off Atlanta’s momentum, putting the match firmly back in Columbus’ hands.
From there, the Crew stayed composed and closed the match out professionally. Patrick Schulte made three saves for Columbus, while Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos made four stops of his own in a game where the home side struggled to create enough danger after falling behind. Atlanta’s frustration showed late as head coach Tata Martino was sent off in stoppage time following a sideline incident.
For Columbus, the result was a big one. It marked the club’s first victory of the season and first under new head coach Henrik Rydström, with Abou Ali’s brace and Arfsten’s goal leading the way in one of the Crew’s strongest performances of the year so far. For Atlanta, it was another frustrating night at home as the Five Stripes dropped to 1-4-1 on the season
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