Atlanta United had three wins and a draw from four matches before getting hammered 6-1 by the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Atlanta United lost their position atop the MLS‘ Eastern Conference standings after a surprise 6-1 hammering at the hands of the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Atlanta boasted three wins and a draw from their first four games of the season – winning the last two by a combined 8-1 margin – but were no match for an inspired Columbus outfit in front of their home fans.
Crew forward Christian Ramirez scored a second-half boost, while Alexandru Matan had three assists in Columbus’ second win of the campaign.
Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris, meanwhile, powered his way into the Golden Boot with a four-goal haul in a 4-1 away win against Sporting Kansas City.
The 28-year-old American more than doubled his three goals from the opening four games to open up a two-goal lead for the rest of the competition.
With Atlanta down, it was the New England Revolution that capitalized and took over the top of the Eastern Conference, beating Christian Benteke’s first-half strike to beat DC United 2-1.
The loss left D.C. near the bottom of the table with four points from five games, joined by Charlotte following a 1-1 home draw against the New York Red Bulls.
Cincinnati is the only undefeated team in the East through five games, securing its third win with a 1-0 victory over Nashville, which they accomplished with two ties as they sit one point behind New England.
A 92nd-minute winner gave Chicago Fire a 3-2 win away to Inter Miami – their first win of the season – while two goals in the first 10 minutes gave Orlando City a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union. .
The LA Galaxy remain winless after being held to a 0-0 draw against the Portland Timbers, while it was more dramatic for the Vancouver Whitecaps as they needed a 98th-minute equalizer to earn a point for a 1-1 draw with Minnesota.
Austin FC let slip a golden opportunity to climb into the Western Conference as they dropped points in a 1-1 home draw against bottom side Colorado Rapids, doubling their season tally with the result.
A 55th-minute penalty from Amine Bassi was enough to give Houston Dynamo a 1-0 win against New York City, while expansion side St. Louis City continued their perfect start to their first season with a convincing 4-0 performance of Real Salt. Lake, making them the only side with a maximum of 15 points from five games.
In the late window, Los Angeles FC benefited from a first-half red card to beat FC Dallas 2-1, while Toronto FC played to a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.
