Thiago Almada scored on a spectacular free kick and Atlanta United added three goals in the last 10 minutes for a lopsided 4-0 win over the visiting Colorado Rapids on Wednesday.
The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Atlanta United (6-4-3, 21 points), who improved their home record to 5-1-1 this season.
The Rapids (2-5-6, 12 points) were shut out for the sixth time in 13 league games this season. Colorado has now lost consecutive games after a seven-game (2-0-5) unbeaten streak.
Atlanta goalkeeper Quentin Westberg made three saves for his first shutout of the season, highlighted by a tremendous jumping save to deny Danny Leyva's shot in the 67th minute.
Luiz Araujo, Tyler Wolff, and Georgios Giakoumakis scored Atlanta United's other goals.
Almada made an uncharacteristically poor attempt on a penalty kick in the 10th minute, as his shot sailed far off target. However, the star midfielder made up for his mistake with a highlight-reel goal soon afterward.
After a foul from Leyva gave Atlanta a free kick just outside the box in the 29th minute, Almada sent a perfectly placed shot over the wall and into the left side of the net for his sixth goal of the season.
The Five Stripes had 67.6 percent of the possession in the game, and outshot Colorado by a 27-6 margin (10-3 in shots on goal). The continued pressure finally broke down the Rapids for good late in the game, beginning with Araujo's tally in the 80th minute.
Wolff and Giakoumakis both scored after entering the game as substitutes. Wolff's tally was his first career MLS goal, while Giakoumakis collected his sixth of the season.
Giakoumakis has come off the bench in Atlanta's past two games after the striker missed two previous games with a hamstring injury.
It was more late-game success for the Five Stripes, as 10 of Atlanta's 24 goals this season have come after the 75th minute of play.
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