Atlanta United’s 70 goals were the second most in the league this year, and there were plenty of pretty ones along the way. It’s hard to cut down the list to just five, but here are our picks for the top 5 goals this season.
5. Miguel Almirón vs Columbus Crew SC – 6/17/17
A two-man counter attack. Leandro González Pirez with the crunching tackle to dispossess the Columbus attacker then plays a perfectly-weighted through ball into the path of Miguel Almirón. The Paraguayan holds off several defenders and skids the ball inside the far post for the game-winner against the Crew at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
4. Josef Martinez vs Chicago Fire – 3/18/17
The game that turned the season into overdrive, and all but clinched Martinez’s MLS Player of the Month award in March. After his hat trick in the team’s first-ever win, Josef Martinez scored his fifth goal in two games from an impossible angle to put the icing on a 4-0 home win against the Chicago Fire.
3. Miguel Almirón at Minnesota United 3/12/17
The snow game. Coming off an impressive but ultimately disappointing home performance against the Red Bulls, Atlanta was looking for its first win in team history against their fellow 2017 expansion side, Minnesota United. The Five Stripes would put in six in the blowing snow, with Miguel Almirón’s volley of the orange ball the pick of the lot.
2. Tito Villalba at Orlando City – 7/21/17
In the team’s first-ever meeting with Orlando City, Brad Guzan’s heroics to keep a clean sheet had the game deadlocked at zero late in the game. With the time ticking down for the winner, Tito Villalba stepped up late like he did all season, sending an unstoppable blast into the top corner from all of 40 yards.
1. Yamil Asad vs New York Red Bulls – 3/05/17
History. How could it be anything other than the first goal ever for the club, the first of 70 in their inaugural year. Tye Mears crossed in to Greg Garza in the middle, and Yamil Asad read the flight perfectly and was the only one on the end of it when he slotted it into the net in front of more than 55,000 fans in the team’s first ever match.
