Atlanta United goes top of MLS as Josef Martinez equals MLS record

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:28 am

Josef Martinez tied the Major League Soccer record for goals in a season with 27 as the Atlanta United defeated the visiting Columbus Crew 3-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.

On a historic day when Martinez gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead, Hector Villalba countered a Crew goal by Gyasi Zardes for a 2-1 advantage in the 76th minute and Miguel Almiron scored six minutes later as United moved three points ahead of the New York Red Bulls for the most points in the league.

Atlanta is unbeaten in its past six games while Columbus had a three-game winning streak end.

After a quiet half hour, it only took a giveaway by Crew defender Jonathan Mensah for the Venezuelan forward to put his name in the record book.

Julian Gressel intercepted a soft pass at midfield and found Martinez down the left channel. Martinez dribbled with pace at three Crew players, feigned right at the top of the box then launched a left-handed shot around goalkeeper Zack Steffen.

Martinez nearly set the record in the 69th minute but his header went off the crossbar. He will get a chance to break the record on Friday at Orlando City.

He shares the MLS mark with Roy Lassiter of the Tampa Bay Mutiny (30 games in 1996), Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes (32 games in 2012) and the Red Bulls' Bradley Wright-Phillips (32 games in 2014).

Martinez's goals have come in 25 games with nine remaining in the regular season. He has 13 goals during an eight-game goal streak.

Zardes made it 1-1 in the 50th minute with his 15th goal to tie him for second in the league with Wright-Phillips and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the LA Galaxy.