Minnesota United coasts to 7-1 victory over FC Cincinnati

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Ike Opara, Hassani Dotson and Ethan Finlay scored their second goals of the season in the first half and Minnesota United coasted to a 7-1 victory over expansion FC Cincinnati on Saturday, the most goals in a game for the third-year club.

Opara opened the scoring in the 19th minute for the Loons (7-7-3) when he pushed in a ball from point-blank range after a free kick. Dotson followed in the 23rd minute with a long volley from outside the box. Just seven minutes later, Finlay was clear in the box to tap in a pass from Darwin Quintero. It was 4-0 at the half after Angelo Rodriguez scored his fifth goal in the 43rd minute.

Cincinnati (3-13-2) has lost five straight and 11 of 12. It got on the board in the 56th minute on Emmanuel Ledesma’s first goal.

Opara added another goal in the 70th minute, Mason Toye picked his first MLS goal in the 75th and Kevin Molino his second in the 87th as Minnesota stayed about the playoff line in the tight Western Division.

Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak.

ATLANTA UNITED 2, IMPACT 1

ATLANTA (AP) — Justin Meram scored his first two goals for Atlanta United, netting the winner in the 83rd minute against Montreal.

Meram, who was acquired in a trade with Columbus in early May, was a step off the line when Brek Shea put a touch along the end line on a loose ball that ended on Meram’s foot. The play started as a corner kick and a header sent the ball toward the goal, where a sliding Shea got his foot on it.

Meram got his 40th career goal in the 35th minute when he bent a rocket from outside the box into the far top corner. Atlanta (9-6-2) is 9-3-0 when scoring first.

Montreal (8-8-3), which missed a chance to move into first place in the Eastern Conference, tied it early in the second half on Zakaria Diallo’s goal.