The 21st MLS Cup Final went down on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and in front of a rollicking crowd in excess of 73,000, the home side came away with a convincing 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers.

It caps a season of uncompromising success for United, playing the season from start to finish staying true to their attacking style that brought the best out of Venezuelan striker Josef Martínez and Miguel Almirón. You need a defence that can give these forwards the freedom they need to do what they do, and the likes of Michael Parkhurst, Leandro González Pírez and the veteran presence of Brad Guzan in goal ensured United conceded just twice over their five playoff games with three clean sheets.

For the Timbers, they will still have plenty to take pride in after finishing fifth in the Western Conference. They were clearly the underdogs heading into this match, and despite looking overwhelmed at times, never let up and showed the fighting spirit that got them this far all the way to the final whistle.

With that, here are the biggest takeaways:

Josef Martinez wins battle of MVPs

Diego Valeri was the 2017 MLS MVP for his 21 goals and 11 assists last campaign and was nothing short of inspirational in leading the Timbers to this year’s final. In five playoff matches, the Argentine tallied four goals and two assists while creating 18 chances in total.

In the final, though, he was anything but. Valeri lost the ball a game-high 11 times in the first half and could only watch as this year’s MVP Josef Martinez was Johnny-on-the-spot to capitalize on his side’s excellent pressing for the first goal and then cleverly headed on for right-back Franco Escobar to slot in off a picture-perfect set piece.

Valeri himself was thoroughly disappointing with his dead ball exploits, failing to come up with any kind of magic on several opportunities.

How about Josef Martinez, though. Many strikers with the adrenaline that 73,000 fans in attendance can send coursing through your veins would have had their eyes get a little too big with the opportunity he was presented near the end of the first half. Instead, you’d think he was enjoying a casual stroll in the park — calmness personified — as he rounded Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, ensured his body was balanced, and then slotted into the empty net for an MLS record 35th goal of the season.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and the reception Martinez received when he exited the game in the 76th minute showed just how spectacular he was in capping off an incredible MVP season.

A Standing Ovation for the MLS MVP Take a bow Josef Martinez pic.twitter.com/34d9e4iyl6 — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 9, 2018

Clock strikes midnight on Timbers’ Cinderella story

Portland entered the final having completed back-to-back victories as the lower seed. Led by Valeri, Sebastián Blanco and Diego Chará, the Timbers entered enemy territory without anything to lose and arguably with the belief they had the best player on the pitch each time.

After only coming back once from behind during the regular season, they did it twice in the playoffs to enter the final including a 99th minute winner from Valeri against Sporting KC in the Western Conference Final.

They just finally met their match in Atlanta.

Fifth time the charm for Michael Parkhurst

Once upon a time, Parkhurst was the 2005 MLS Rookie of the Year. The American international is now a six-time all-star and was making his fifth appearance in an MLS Cup Final.

Parkhurst had lost on all four previous occasions, but after doing everything in his power to ensure he was fit for this match since sustaining an ankle injury in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Red Bulls, the 34-year-old made it clear he was in no mood to let this opportunity slip away.

The 2007 Defender of the Year led from the front throughout the match, but it was his heart and hustle in the 39th minute that led to Martinez’s opening goal. As Portland played with fire passing the ball in their own third, Parkhurst seized his moment by executing a precise sliding tackle on Jeremy Ebobisse that sent the ball on its way to Martinez, who was more than ready to pounce.

JOSEF MARTINEZ GIVES ATLANTA THE LEAD!!! pic.twitter.com/2d2IwS9yps — FOX Sports (@FOXSports) December 9, 2018

In a match that took around 22 minutes for its first shot, Atlanta’s pressing to create something out of nothing was perfectly encapsulated by the captain’s tackle and set them on their way.

If Europeans come for a final chapter, South Americans come for stardom

The likes of David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard have all come to the United States to ply their trade in the twilight of their career, and while they’ve undoubtedly made an impact in growing the sport, it’s created an opportunity that South Americans have undoubtedly grabbed with both hands.

Within the starting lineups and head coaches alone, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, Valeri, Blanco, Eric Remedi, González Pírez and Franco Escobar are all from Argentina, Venezuela is represented by Giovanni Savarese and Martinez, Almirón is from Paraguay, David Guzman is Costa Rican, Diego Chará is Colombian and Andy Polo is Peruvian.

Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco may be the European exception to the rule, but there’s no doubting that South American star power is here to stay.

MLS attractiveness only growing

The atmosphere for this final was just unreal. More than 73,000 packed Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and from well before kick-off, all those in attendance made it a point to ensure this was nothing short of a spectacle. This was the highest attended final in MLS history, a reflection of the growth of soccer in North America.

In the U.S. specifically, Atlanta made a statement this season and sent a clear signal that they may be the capital of American soccer, bringing in 70,000-plus crowds nine times this season.

Bring on the parade.