Atlanta United's home woes continued Saturday night as the Five Stripes fell 3-1 to the Columbus Crew in front of fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on 404 Day.
The first half ended scoreless, though goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos was busy early, making multiple saves as Columbus controlled possession for the first 20 minutes. Atlanta actually won the first-half possession battle 55.4% to 45.6% and showed some life in the final 25 minutes before the break.
The second half was a different story. Columbus forward Wessam Abou Ali scored on a header just three minutes in, then added a second goal on a strike from outside the box at the 53-minute mark. A third Columbus goal followed before Atlanta managed its lone response in the 59th minute.
The loss drops Atlanta United to just one win in seven matches this season, continuing a stretch of disappointing results that has tested the patience of the home crowd. The team's only victory came earlier in the campaign, with a string of losses and a 0-0 draw against D.C. United on March 21 defining the home slate so far.
