Josef Martinez scored his 23rd and 24th goals of the season as MLS-leading Atlanta United downed the Montreal Impact 2-1 in a rain-delayed match on Saturday night.
With 11 games left in the regular season, Martinez is only three short of the MLS record of 27 goals in a season shared by three players.
Ignacio Piatti scored for Montreal (9-13-1), which lost at home for the first time in six games. Atlanta (14-4-5) has a four-game unbeaten string.
Montreal had most of the ball in the opening half, but Atlanta had the better chances off counterattacks, with Martinez heading wide on the rebound of a Julian Gressel shot in the 17th minute and Evan Bush stopping a Miguel Almiron blast in the 28th.
Hector Villalba won a race for a ball down the right flank and crossed a ball in front that defender Rudy Camacho just missed before a leaping Martinez headed it under the crossbar in the 31st minute.
The 75-minute rain delay, which started during the intermission, was announced as a thunder shower passed over Saputo Stadium, soaking the field as fans sought shelter under the grandstands.
When play resumed, players were sliding around on the slick grass and Atlanta took advantage on another counter when, after some ping-pong in the Montreal 18-yard box, Jukka Raitala stopped a shot on the goal line, only to see Martinez steal the ball and tap it over the line in the 57th minute.
It was the Venezuelan's fifth goal in his last two outings, having set an MLS record with a sixth career hat-trick last week against D.C. United. Martinez was subbed off in the 83rd minute.
Montreal had pressure around the Atlanta box throughout the match, but couldn't penetrate the defence for quality chances until the 87th, when Alejandro Silva charged into the area and slipped a pass to Piatti on the left side for a blast under the crossbar for his 11th of the season.
Goalkeeping coach Joel Bats acted as Montreal coach as Remi Garde served a one-game suspension. Garde was shown the red card during a 2-2 draw in Portland last week.
ESPN stats reported that Martinez is second in MLS history for goals in a player's first two seasons with 43, one short of the record 44 scored by Stern John of Columbus in 1998 and 1999. Martinez passed David Villa of New York Cit,y who had 41 in his first two seasons.
Atlanta was without rookie star Ezequiel Barco, who was suspended two games by management for breaking a team rule. He will return Wednesday at the MLS all-star game against Juventus in Atlanta.
