NASHVILLE – In front of a record-breaking crowd of 59,069 at Nissan Stadium, Nashville SC made its debut in Major League Soccer, dropping a hard-fought contest 2-1 to Atlanta United FC.
Atlanta got on the board first with a lightning-quick counterattack and a goal from Ezequiel Barco in the 9’ minute. Nashville responded with a goal off of a set piece by defender Walker Zimmerman in the 29’ minute to even things up. Atlanta grabbed one more goal after a set piece sequence saw Emerson Hyndman rocket a ball into the back of the net to take the lead in the 38’.
Nashville put the pressure on in the second half, pressing forward and looking for scoring opportunities. In the opening minutes of the half, Dominique Badji laid a phenomenal cross into the middle, and David Accam narrowly missed the tying goal. Randall Leal hit the near post on a strong individual effort in the 78’. The Boys in Gold put the pressure high late in the half, but could not find an equalizer.
Goals
9’ ATL – Ezequiel Barco
29’ NSH – Walker Zimmerman (assisted by Hany Mukhtar)
38’ ATL – Emerson Hyndman
Key Stat
13 Shots – Nashville SC peppered the Atlanta attacking third, particularly in the second half. The Boys in Gold had plenty of chances late in the match, but an equalizer was not in the cards.
Up Next
Nashville SC travels to Portland to take on the Timbers next Sunday night on ESPN. The next home match is on Saturday, March 21 against Columbus Crew SC. Tickets are available here.
