Player Impressions: ATLUTD 3-0 CF Montréal

Hoyos made the saves Atlanta needed, but he made the first half harder on himself than necessary. He nearly gifted Montréal possession several times with casual distribution, including one bizarre underhand throw directly beyond his target. He settled down later and made another important save as Montréal pushed for a way back into the match.

It took a while to notice Alonso, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He became more involved after Atlanta took the lead and helped settle the back line in the second half. He continued the recent trend of stepping further up the pitch instead of remaining planted deep.

There were still some nervous moments with Díaz in possession, including a couple of poor passes that gave Montréal opportunities to attack. He made several strong reads under pressure, won an important sliding challenge early, and nearly created Atlanta's second goal with the cross that Embolo headed on target.

Báez didn't put a foot wrong. His recovery tackle in the first half stopped a dangerous attack, he repeatedly shut down his side, and he picked up the assist on Almirón's opening goal. Báez has looked better with each appearance and is starting to show exactly why Atlanta brought him in.

Edwards had another strong night on the right. He positioned himself higher up the pitch, regularly gave Atlanta an outlet, and still recovered quickly when Montréal tried to break past him. Even late in the match he was getting forward, including a run into the box in stoppage time. He continues to make a case for starting minutes.

Amaro's defensive work was much better than his work going forward. He read danger well and came alive when Atlanta needed someone tracking back. And yet, too many of his movements ended with a poor decision or a bad pass. Several times he carried the ball forward with open teammates around him and chose the wrong option. The defensive instincts are there. The distribution has to improve.

Galoppo kept looking for shooting opportunities around the box, even when the shots weren't always coming off. His persistence paid off on the second goal. After Breel Embolo's header was saved, Galoppo was exactly where he needed to be and finished the rebound with the outside of his foot. His influence faded in the second half before coming off, but he made his first-half contribution count.

Fortune was much more involved than against Cincinnati and got better as the match went on. He looked to gain confidence and started pressing everything. That pressure helped create Atlanta's third goal, with Fortune combining with Miranchuk before sending the ball across the six-yard box. This was a perfect response after a quiet previous game.

This was a Designated Player level performance from Almirón. He spent the night trying to drag Atlanta forward, scored the opening goal, and continued to press and create even after Atlanta had control of the match. The shot for his goal looked almost too slow to reach the net in real time, but it found the inside of the post and crossed the goal. He is the emotional engine of the team.

Miranchuk quietly orchestrated much of Atlanta's better attacking play. He dropped deep to help settle possession, stripped Montréal players of the ball, and kept looking for ways to move Atlanta forward. His pressure and backheel were central to the third goal, and he nearly added one himself. It was a positive performance, although Atlanta still needs him to influence matches like this more consistently.

Embolo finally got his goal. His best moments came when he acted instinctively - the powerful header that led to Galoppo's goal and the quick reaction to finish Atlanta's third. When he has time to think, things still seem to get more complicated. His early offside opportunity was a perfect example, when he hesitated instead of simply taking the shot.

Alzate helped Atlanta see out the match without doing anything particularly noticeable. He had a couple of good moments in possession, but his biggest contribution was simply helping maintain control through the middle.

Sanchez didn't produce much with the ball, but his off-the-ball work is where he stood out. Alongside Alzate, he made the middle of the field uncomfortable for Montréal and prevented the visitors from building cleanly through the center. It was the kind of substitute appearance Atlanta needed with a three-goal lead.

Muyumba read two Montréal attacks particularly well, including a sliding block that prevented a dangerous ball from reaching the back line. With Atlanta protecting the lead, he did exactly what was needed.

Picault nearly connected several nice through balls. He gave Montréal another runner to worry about as Atlanta played out the final minutes.

Where was this version of Santos all year? He was extremely effective after coming on. Retaining possession under pressure, turning defenders, carrying the ball forward, and generally becoming a nuisance for Montréal. His ball across the field to Almirón was one of the better passes of the closing stretch. It was a night-and-day difference from many of his earlier appearances.

His starting XI was clearly better than Montréal's, and once Atlanta built the three-goal advantage, Sanchez, Alzate, Muyumba, Santos, and Picault helped shut things down. Martino didn't wait as long to make his changes, and the substitutions helped close down the match.