Cucho Hernandez Scores Twice, Leading Columbus Crew to 2-0 Win Over Atlanta United in MLS Playoffs Game 1

Hernandez's two goals take his season tally to 18, secures 1-0 series lead for Columbus Crew as Atlanta United suffers without Thiago Almada.

Cucho Hernandez scored two goals to secure a 2-0 win for Columbus Crew against Atlanta United in the first game of the MLS Playoff series, putting Columbus Crew ahead in the round-one best-of-three series.
Hernandez's first goal came in the added time of the first half, and the second goal was a penalty scored in the 51st minute, marking his 6th successful penalty shot of the season.
Atlanta United's performance was weakened by the absence of Thiago Almada, their key player who was a finalist for the MLS MVP and Young Player of the Year awards with 11 goals and 19 assists, due to a red card in the regular-season finale.
The Columbus Crew displayed a strong home game performance with a track record of remaining unbeaten in 16 straight home matches, including 12 wins.
The second game of the series will take place in Atlanta, a venue where Atlanta United has won only four out of the last 35 away matches across all competitions, dating back to 2022.