Emmanuel Latte Lath scores 2 goals in MLS debut to help Atlanta beat Montreal 3-2
ATLANTA (AP) — Emmanuel Latte Lath scored two goals in his MLS debut on Saturday night and Edwin Mosquera netted the go-ahead goal in the 85th minute to help Atlanta United beat CF Montreal 3-2 in the season opener for both teams.
Mosquera replaced Saba Lobjanidze in the 83rd minute and scored a couple minutes later to give Atlanta the lead for good. At the left corner of the penalty box, Mosquera split a pair of defenders with rising shot that beat goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
Brad Guzan stopped four shots for Atlanta.
Latte Lath, a 26-year-old Ivory Coast international who was acquired in the offseason for a reported MLS-record $22 million transfer fee plus add-ons, scored his first goal in the 42nd minute, heading home a corner kick played by Lobjanidze to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Nathan Saliba, a 21-year-old homegrown midfielder, scored his second career goal in the 47th minute to make it 1-1 but, after Sirois mishandled a header played by Atlanta’s Miguel Almirón, Latte Lath’s putback made it 2-1 in the 63rd.
Prince Owusu, who scored nine goals last season for Toronto FC, pulled Montreal even at 2-2 in the 71st. George Campbell, off a corner kick to the back post by Tom Pearce, played a centering header to Owusu for the tap-in goal from point-blank range.
Sirois finished with five saves for Montreal.
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