Vancouver Whitecaps' Christian Bolanos, right, takes a shot on goal as Atlanta United's Michael Parkhurst defends during the second half of an MLS soccer game in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday June 3, 2017.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Kendall Waston scored twice in the first half to erase an early deficit before Fredy Montero snapped a five-game goal drought as the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Atlanta United 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Waston, who was up the field for a corner kick, cancelled out Greg Garza's opener in the 31st minute after collecting a cheeky chip over the top from Andrew Jacobson and controlling the ball on his chest before patiently beating Atlanta goalkeeper Alec Kann.
The hulking central defender's first goal of the season was also the first of his Major League Soccer career scored with his feet. Waston's other seven goals since joining the club in 2014 have come on headers.
Having got that out the way, the Costa Rican international returned to a more familiar manner of scoring in the 44th minute to give the Whitecaps (6-6-1) their first lead when he rose to meet Cristian Techera's corner kick and headed past a helpless Kann.
Atlanta (5-5-3), an expansion team that came in tied for the MLS lead in goals this season with 27 in 12 games, opened the scoring in the seventh minute through Garza on a sequence where Waston and the rest of Vancouver's defence was caught napping.
Julian Gressel took a pass on the right from Miguel Almiron before firing a low cross to the far post to the completely unmarked United left back, who beat Whitecaps 'keeper David Ousted for his first of the campaign.
Down 2-1 after Waston's double, Atlanta nearly tied the game before halftime, but Carlos Carmona's header off an Almiron free kick rattled the crossbar behind Ousted and stayed out.
The Whitecaps doubled their lead in the 68th minute when Montero blasted a rebound into the roof of the net after Kann made an incredible goal-line save on a Tim Parker header off a corner.
A high-priced designated player brought in on loan to help solve Vancouver's striker woes this season, Montero hadn't scored since April 22 and crumpled to the turf earlier in the half when his free header flashed over the bar.
Atlanta came close to getting back in the match in the 76th when Almiron's shot hit Ousted and then the post before Leandro Gonzalez Pirez's header was cleared off the line by Waston. Referee Robert Sibiga initially awarded United a penalty on the play, but quickly reversed the call for a Vancouver free kick.
The Whitecaps were coming off a frustrating 1-0 home defeat to D.C. United last Saturday where they dominated play before getting knocked out of the Canadian Championship on Tuesday in Montreal against the Impact with a lineup of mostly inexperienced and fringe players.
Matias Laba returned to the fold as a midfield buffer in front of Vancouver's back four following a one-match suspension as head coach Carl Robinson went with the same starting 11 as the Whitecaps' five MLS games prior to the D.C. loss.
Atlanta, meanwhile, travelled west after consecutive home victories — 4-1 over the Houston Dynamo and 3-1 against New York City FC — with a free-flowing and attractive style not usually seen with first-year teams under the guidance of former Argentina and Barcelona manager Gerardo (Tata) Martino.
Notes: Waston had the first two-goal performance of his MLS career. ... Almiron came into Saturday with seven goals on the season, including five in the last two games. ... The Whitecaps midfielder Nicolas Mezquida will miss up to eight weeks with a sprained ankle suffered in the loss to Montreal. ... After five games in 15 days, Vancouver doesn't play again until June 17.