Atlanta United drops SCCL quarterfinal first leg 3-0 to C.F. Monterrey
Atlanta United fell to Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey 3-0 in the first leg of its Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal at Estadio BBVA Bancomer Wednesday night. The return leg is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Nicolás Sánchez opened the scoring for Monterrey in the 17th minute from the penalty spot. Dorlan Pabón was played in along the right side and was ruled to be taken down by Leandro González Pirez. Sánchez stepped up and went to Brad Guzan’s left, and although the keeper guessed correctly, Sánchez’s attempt put Rayados up 1-0.
Pabón doubled the lead for Monterrey in the 80th minute, receiving a pass from Carlos Rodríguez at the top of the box, dribbling around a defender and blasting a left-footed shot to the left side of the goal. Jesus Gallardo made it 3-0 four minutes later. Pabón sent in a cross from the right side and found Gallardo alone at the top of the six-yard box, who settled the ball off his chest and hit a hard left-footed shot into the roof of the net.
After its third match in seven days, Atlanta United returns to MLS action for its home opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against FC Cincinnati on Sunday, March 10 (5 p.m./ESPN).
MATCH INFO
Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Quarterfinals | Leg One
Atlanta United 0, C.F. Monterrey 3
Estadio BBVA Bancomer
Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico
STATS
Shots: 17-5 Monterrey
Shots on Target: 5-1 Monterrey
Corner kicks: 4-2 Monterrey
Fouls committed: 26-15 Monterrey
Clearances: 16-6 Atlanta
Offside: 2-1 Monterrey
Possession: 51-49 Atlanta
Passing Accuracy: 75%-75%
SCORING SUMMARY
MTY – Nicolás Sánchez (penalty) 17’
MTY – Dorlan Pabón 80’ (Carlos Rodríguez)
MTY – Jesus Gallardo 84’ (Dorlan Pabón)
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
ATL – Eric Remedi (yellow) 23’
MTY – Jesus Gallardo (yellow) 27’
ATL – Michael Parkhurst (yellow) 60’
MTY – Maxi Meza (yellow) 61’
ATL – Leandro González Pirez (yellow) 76’
ATLANTA UNITED STARTING LINEUP
Brad Guzan; Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Miles Robinson, Michael Parkhurst ©; Brek Shea, Darlington Nagbe, Eric Remedi (Tito Villalba 90+1), Mikey Ambrose; Pity Martinez (Jeff Larentowicz 90’), Josef Martinez, Ezequiel Barco.
Substitutes not used: Alec Kann, Gordon Wild, Kevin Kratz, Andrew Carleton, Romario Williams.
C.F. MONTERREY STARTING LINEUP
Marcelo Bravero; Cesar Montes, Nicolás Sánchez, Miguel Layun; Jesus Gallardo, Jonathan Gonzalez (Celso Ortiz 65’), Carlos Rodriguez, Dorlan Pabon ©; Maxi Meza (Leonel Vangioni 83’) Rogelio Funes Mori, Aviles Hurtado (Rodolfo Pizarro 71’)
Substitutes not used: Luis Cardenas, Edson Gutierrez, Angel Zaldivar, Johan Vasquez.
OFFICIALS
Ismael Alexander Cornejo Melendez (referee), Jose Antonio Mangandi (assistant), Douglas Alexander Bermudez Caballero (assistant), Jaime Alfredo Herrera Bonilla (fourth).
TEAM NOTES
- Mikey Ambrose made his first SCCL start.
- Leandro González Pirez picked up his second yellow card of the tournament and will miss the return leg.
- This was Atlanta’s first-ever match against a team from Liga MX.
Atlanta is 3-0 all-time in two-legged series (NYCFC 2018, NYRB 2018, Herediano 2019)