The Columbus Crew are finally in the win column for the first time in 2026.

After five games of frustration to open the 2026 MLS campaign, Columbus delivered a composed and clinical performance Saturday night, defeating Atlanta United FC 3-1 to secure its first victory of the season. Behind a brace from Wessam Abou Ali and a well-taken finish from Max Arfsten, the Crew turned attacking efficiency into three points at on the road at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Columbus gained an early opportunity in the first few minutes of the match, seeing Abou Ali dummy a pass, leaving the ball for Diego Rossi, but miscommunication between the two attackers saw the buildup break down.

The Crew had other opportunities to score, but couldn’t convert throughout the first half.

All would change in the second half, however.

Just three minutes into the half, Abou Ali got his name on the scoresheet. Arfsten collected a pass from Steven Moreira to take on the defender, before serving a cross into the penalty area to find Abou Ali rising to meet the cross, putting his header on frame and in the back of the net.

Five minutes later, Abou Ali tallied another goal, this time unleashing a shot from distance that found the top right-hand corner of the far post to give Columbus a 0-2 lead. With roughly 30 minutes left of game to play, Columbus needed to hold on and not let any momentum go the Five Stripes way.

Atlanta would get a glimpse of hope in the 60th minute to cut the Crew’s lead in half.

Aleksey Miranchuk hammered home a loose ball from inside the six-yard box after a double save from Patrick Schulte. The hype was short lived by a mere 20 seconds, with Atlanta falling behind the 8-ball after the restart.

Moreira played a long pass forward to Andres Herrera for a quick counterattack, with Herrera sending a low-driven pass toward the center of the 18-yard box for Arfsten who smashed home the pass into the back of the net giving Columbus their two-goal lead back.

From there, Columbus managed the match professionally. Substitutions injected fresh legs into midfield, and the Crew saw out the final 15 minutes without conceding meaningful chances.

Things got interesting in second half stoppage time, with a bench-clearing incident seeing Atlanta United head coach Tata Martino being shown a red card, and Henrik Rydström being unbothered and receiving a yellow card.

Columbus saw out the three points to claim their first win of the season, now heading into their next matchup with a lot more confidence than what they had entering this matchup.

What’s next?

Columbus Crew hosts Orlando City SC on Sunday, April 12. Kickoff from Scotts Miracle-Gro Field is set for 7 p.m. EDT. You can watch the match on Apple TV.