Nashville SC 1 – 2 Atlanta United

This was the first match ever for MLS expansion side Nashville SC, and a win on that first, historic match would have made an amazing picture for the club’s debut.  But the pretty-new-to-MLS club Atlanta United is still writing its own history and has a lot to prove.  So the guests spoiled the party a bit with an early goal cutesy of Ezequiel Barco (9’). 

Nashville did retaliate with Walker Zimmerman scoring the club’s first-ever point (28^th) and sent the home crowd wild, but the joy was short lived, with Atlanta’s Emerson Hyndman firing a powerful kick that sent the visitors into halftime with a lead (37’).  A lead which the 5 stripes managed to keep up to the end, and win the game.

Nashville can take home several positives from their first match in the club’s history.  They were well positioned in the field, and to the new squad’s credit, they did hold up and not collapse after conceding Barco’s early goal.  But that they did give themselves a fighting chance, and their fans an impressive performance against one of the stronger opponents the MLS knows right now.

Atlanta will host another MLS expansion team, FC Cincinnati on Saturday, March 7^th, and Nashville will face the Portland Timbers on Sunday, March 8^th.