Josef Martinez of Atlanta United heads the ball during a MLS match in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2017
Josef Martinez posted his second straight hat trick, but hosts Atlanta settled for a 3-3 draw with Orlando on Saturday that drew a Major League Soccer record crowd of 70,425.
Atlanta, which made their debut in the league this season, were playing their third match in their new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they share with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
For the first two games, the upper decks were closed, but tickets to those seats were sold for Saturday’s contest and the announced attendance of 70,425 was the largest ever for a stand-alone MLS game — surpassing the 21-year-old record of 69,255 fans who showed up at the Rose Bowl to watch LA Galaxy play their first MLS game in 1996.
In 2006, a crowd of 92,650 were at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum when the now-defunct Chivas USA met the New England Revolution, but that game was part of a double-header that included a blockbuster friendly between Barcelona and Club America.
Saturday’s big crowd were treated to plenty of back-and-forth action.
Dominic Dwyer scored off two headers in the first half and played a role in Cyle Larin’s goal that put Orlando City ahead 3-2 in the 58th minute.
Venezuelan international Martinez answered in the 69th minute, getting his right foot on a precise pass from Hector Villalba to level the score at 3-3.
Dwyer, who joined Orlando from Sporting Kansas City in a blockbuster midseason acquisition, got up high in the box and headed home a long, bending ball from Donny Toia to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute.
Martinez equalized in the 36th, only for Dwyer to head home a long cross from Scott Sutter in the 39th.
Portland’s Argentine midfielder Diego Valeri’s record-setting performance in Salt Lake City was spoiled as the hosts triumphed 2-1.
Valeri became the first player in MLS history to score in eight straight matches when he headed in an equalizer off a cross from Dairon Asprilla two minutes into the second half.
But Real Salt Lake’s Jefferson Savarino put the hosts back in front in the 61st minute, firing a left-footed shot from 17 yards out inside the far post.
Albert Rusnak had put Real Salt Lake ahead in the 14th minute.
In other matches, reigning MLS Cup champions Seattle stretched their unbeaten streak to 13 games, playing to a scoreless draw with Dallas.
In Colorado, Dominique Badji’s 88th minute goal lifted the Rapids to a 1-1 draw with New York City FC.
Tommy McNamara’s third goal this season, a blast from 25 yards out into the upper-left corner in the 19th minute, had given New York a 1-0 advantage.
The goal was the 50th of the season for New York City, who welcomed Spanish star David Villa back in the 72nd minute after the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player had been sidelined for the past three matches with an abductor muscle strain.
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