Atlanta United rip CF Montreal, clinch playoff spot

Xande Silva and Thiago Almada each had a goal and an assist to help Atlanta United clinch a playoff spot with a 4-1 win against visiting CF Montreal on Saturday.

United (13-8-10, 49 points) remained unbeaten in six all-time home matches (5-0-1) against the Canadian side.

Montreal (11-15-4, 37 points) is winless in five straight (0-3-2) after a three-game winning streak.

It was all Atlanta for the bulk of the first half, dominating possession with nearly 71 percent of the touches.

United broke through in the 30th minute. Silva hustled up the left wing into the box, and Saba Lobjanidze found him just above the six for a shot that grazed off Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, who came off his line, and bounced into the net for a 1-0 lead.

Lobjanidze has three goals and three assists in his six MLS matches.

Almada doubled the lead in the 33rd minute. Silva took a pass at the top of the box and the ball rolled in front of him, drawing Sirois off his line to try to get to it first. But Silva stayed on it at the edge of the goal area and fed it to Almada inside for a quick strike.

Montreal had its first quality chance of the half in the 36th minute when Kwadwo Opoku received a pass above the six-yard box but volleyed the ball over the net.

Despite minimal time on the attack, the visitors got on the board in the 40th minute. Lassi Lappalainen sent a pass from the goal line toward the top of the box, and on-rushing Ahmed Hamdi connected to cut it to 2-1.

Giorgos Giakoumakis extended it to 3-1 for Atlanta in the 46th minute with a chip shot from above the box into the far side of the net.

The play went to video review after a flag went up for offside, but the goal stood after it was determined the ball went off Montreal defender Gabriele Corbo before reaching Giakoumakis.

Montreal came close to narrowing the deficit in the 53rd minute on a Chinonso Offor header that hit the left post.

Montreal defender Joel Waterman, who was shown a yellow card earlier in the match, was assessed a red card in the 87th minute for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.

Edwin Mosquera struck from the area to make it 4-1 in the 89th minute.