Renasant Recap: Nashville SC continues red-hot start with 2-0 win at Atlanta United FC

• The first-place Boys in Gold are unbeaten in seven of eight MLS matches at 6W-1L-1D for the first time in team history and have lost just once in 14 matches overall (9W-1L-4D in MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup) 
• Cristian Espinoza and Shak Mohammed (first career MLS goal in first career Nashville SC MLS appearance) score; Hany Mukhtar records two assists  
• Goalkeeper Brian Schwake registers his ninth shutout in 14 starts across all competitions this season  

ATLANTA (April 18, 2026) – Nashville Soccer Club remained atop the Eastern Conference Saturday night with a 2-0 win over Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Cristian Espinoza scored his third MLS goal of the season from Hany Mukhtar and Jeisson Palacios in the 61st minute followed by Shak Mohammed’s first career MLS goal during added time in his first league appearance for Nashville SC, assisted by Mukhtar and Espinoza. Brian Schwake made three saves to hold Atlanta scoreless.  

Steady and strong: With tonight’s win, Nashville SC is unbeaten in 13 of 14 matches (9W-1L-4D) across all competitions to start the season for the first time while outscoring opponents 26-5.  

He’s golden: Brian Schwake’s three-save shutout was his fourth in MLS this season and his ninth in 14 starts across all competitions (regular season, Concacaf Champions Cup).  

Designated and dangerous: For the second straight match, Cristian Espinoza and Hany Mukhtar teamed up to put the Boys in Gold on the board. Before assisting Espinoza’s goal Saturday night, Mukhtar scored from his fellow Designated Player in NSC’s 1-0 Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinal Series clinching win last Tuesday.  

Next up: Nashville SC will return home to play its first MLS match at GEODIS Park since defeating Orlando City SC 5-0 on March 21 when it faces Charlotte FC for the second time this season at 7:30 p.m. CT for Star Wars Night presented by Alliant Insurance Services.  

Notes:            

Nashville SC:        

• is in first place in the Eastern Conference at 6W-1L-1D and 19 points  
• is unbeaten in 13 of its first 14 matches this season across all competitions (MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup) 
• is 9W-1L-4D across all competitions this season  
• is 3W-1L-1D on the road in MLS this season for the first time in club history (5W-1L-2D across all competitions) 
• is outscoring opponents 17-4 in MLS and 26-5 across all competitions this season 
• is 6W-4L-5D all-time vs. Atlanta United FC (MLS, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup)

Cristian Espinoza  

• recorded his third MLS goal of the season and 125th career MLS regular season goal contribution 
• recorded his fourth MLS assist of the season (126th career MLS regular season goal contribution) 
• leads Nashville SC with 10 goal contributions across all competitions  
• earned Nashville SC Man of the Match honors

Shak Mohammed scored his first career MLS goal in his first Nashville SC MLS appearance   

Hany Mukhtar recorded his third and fourth MLS assists of the season 

Andy Najar made his 200th career MLS regular season appearance 

Jeisson Palacios recorded his second MLS assist of the season  

Brian Schwake recorded his fourth MLS shutout of the season and ninth across all competitions  

Box score:                   

Nashville SC (6W-1L-1D) at Atlanta United FC (1W-6L-1D) 

April 18, 2026 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium  

Final score:                  

NSH: 2 

ATL: 0 

Scoring Summary:  

NSH: Cristian Espinoza (A: Hany Mukhtar, Jeisson Palacios) 61’  

NSH: Shak Mohammed (A: Hany Mukhtar, Cristian Espinoza) 90’ + 1 

Discipline: 

ATL: Tristan Muyumba (Caution) 45’ + 1 

ATL: Lucas Hoyos (Caution) 76’  

Lineups:  

        
NSH starters: Brian Schwake; Dan Lovitz, Maxwell Woledzi, Jeisson Palacios, Andy Najar (Reed Baker-Whiting 84’); Matthew Corcoran, Eddi Tagseth (Patrick Yazbek 66’), Ahmed Qasem (Shak Mohammed 84’); Cristian Espinoza, Hany Mukhtar (C), Warren Madrigal (Alex Muyl 56’) 

Substitutes: Joe Willis, Jack Maher, Bryan Acosta, Woobens Pacius, Josh Bauer 

ATL starters: Lucas Hoyos; Elias Baez (Pedro Amador 68’), Enea Mihaj, Stian Gregersen, Tomas Jacob; Tristan Muyumba, Jay Fortune (Saba Lobjanidze 74’), Cooper Sanchez (Fafá Picault 68’); Emmanuel Latte Lath (Cayman Togashi 82’), Matias Galarza Fonda, Alexey Miranchuck (C) 

Substitutes: Jayden Hibbert, Ronald Hernandez, Juan Berrocal, Pedro Amador, Matthew Edwards, Will Reilly 

Match officials:            

Referee: Allen Chapman 

AR1: Cory Richardson 

AR2: Ben Pilgrim 

4TH: Sergii Boiko 

VAR: Filip Dujic 

AVAR: Tom Supple 

Weather: Indoors

NEXT HOME MATCH