KENNESAW — Atlanta United defeated C.S. Herediano 4-0 Thursday night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in the Second Leg of the Round of 16 in the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League to win 5-3 on aggregate.
With the win, Atlanta advances to the quarterfinals where it will face C.F. Monterrey of Liga MX in the First Leg next week in Mexico.
Trailing 3-1 on aggregate, Atlanta wasted no time cutting into the deficit as Josef Martinez scored 47 seconds into the match, the fastest goal in club history. In his first appearance for Atlanta United, Brek Shea sent in a cross from the left side where an Herediano defender failed to clear the ball. It fell to Martinez inside the six-yard box where he buried the shot and gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead, but it still trailed 3-2 on aggregate.
Just eight minutes later, Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the ninth minute through Julian Gressel’s second goal of the tournament after a give-and-go with Ezequiel Barco. Gressel received a pass on the right side of the field and laid the ball off to Barco, who played Gressel into the box where he scored with a low shot to the far post and put Atlanta ahead on away goals, with the aggregate score at 3-3.
Martinez gave Atlanta a commanding 3-0 lead, 4-3 on aggregate, with his second goal of the night in the 63rd minute. Eric Remedi played Shea into the 18-yard box with a through ball down the left side. Shea one-timed a low cross to an unmarked Martinez who easily tapped the ball into the back of the net.
Atlanta eliminated any hopes of Herediano forcing extra time after a goal from center back Leandro González Pirez in the 83rd minute. A cleared corner kick from the right side found Darlington Nagbe at the top of the box, who recycled the play and found Barco standing alone on the opposite side of the field. The Argentine sent a cross back into the box where Pirez headed in Atlanta’s fourth goal. It was Barco’s second assist of the night, earning him Man of The Match.
The date and times of both legs of the quarterfinals against C.F. Monterrey will be announced tomorrow by Concacaf.
