Atlanta United fell 4-2 to Nashville SC at Nissan Stadium Saturday night. Jeff Larentowicz and George Bello scored their first goals of the season and 17-year-old Homegrown player Tyler Wolff made his first MLS start to become the second-youngest player to start a league match in club history.
Dominique Badji opened the scoring for Nashville in the first minute off of a corner kick. Hany Mukhtar swung in a corner from the right side that Dax McCarty headed towards the far post where it fell to Badji for a tap-in.
Atlanta answered in the 19th minute from Larentowicz. Ezequiel Barco delivered a free kick towards the top of the six-yard box where Larentowicz was able to direct a glancing header inside the far post for his first goal of the season and 41st of his career.
Mukhtar added Nashville’s second goal in the 28th minute, capitalizing on an Atlanta turnover and slotting a right-footed finish past Brad Guzan. McCarty added a third in the 36th minute, as his header from a Daniel Lovitz cross deflected off Anton Walkes and into the net.
Nashville struck first after halftime in the 57th minute as McCarty played a ball over the top of Atlanta’s back line to find Abu Danladi running in on goal, and the forward was able to slip a shot past Guzan.
Atlanta responded quickly and scored its second goal of the night on an attacking sequence down the right side in the 61st minute. Adam Jahn won the ball back in the attacking third and back-heeled a pass to Jurgen Damm who found Jahn with a return ball into the right side of the penalty area. Jahn crossed the ball across the box to find an attacking run from Bello, and the defender struck it first time and across goal into the side net for the second goal of his Atlanta career.
Atlanta United (3-6-2, 11 points) returns to action Saturday, Sept. 19 against Inter Miami CF (7:00 p.m., FOX Sports Southeast, Sports Radio 92-9 The Game, La Mejor).
MATCH INFO
Nashville SC 4, Atlanta United 2
Nissan Stadium
Nashville, Tennessee
STATS
Shots: 10-9 Atlanta
Shots on Target: 6-3 Nashville
Corner kicks: 3-3
Fouls committed: 15-14 Atlanta
Clearances: 16-8 Nashville
Offside: 1-1
Possession: 60-40 Atlanta
Passing Accuracy: 88-83 Atlanta
SCORING SUMMARY
NSH – Dominique Badji 1’ (Dax McCarty, Hany Mukhtar) HIGHLIGHT
ATL – Jeff Larentowicz 19’ (Ezequiel Barco) HIGHLIGHT
NSH – Hany Mukhtar 28’ (Dominique Badji) HIGHLIGHT
NSH – Dax McCarty 36’ (Daniel Lovitz) HIGHLIGHT
NSH –Abu Danladi 57’ (Dax McCarty) HIGHLIGHT
ATL – George Bello 61’ (Adam Jahn, Jurgen Damm) HIGHLIGHT
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
ATL – Eric Remedi 63’ (yellow)
ATLANTA UNITED STARTING LINEUP
Brad Guzan; George Bello, Miles Robinson, Anton Walkes, Franco Escobar; Jeff Larentowicz ©, Mattheus Rossetto (Eric Remedi 56’), Tyler Wolff (Jon Gallagher 56’), Ezequiel Barco, Brooks Lennon (Jürgen Damm 45’, Jake Mulraney 75’), Adam Jahn (Erick Torres 75’)
Substitutes not used: Alec Kann, Laurence Wyke, Fernando Meza, Emerson Hyndman
NASHVILLE SC STARTING LINEUP
Joe Willis ©; Daniel Lovitz, Dave Romney, Walker Zimmerman, Dax McCarty © (Brian Anunga 86’), Hany Mukhtar (Derrick Jones 75’), Alistair Johnston, Anibal Godoy, Alex Muyl (Alan Winn 62’); Abu Danlad (Taylor Washington 62’), Dominique Badji (Daniel Rios 75’)
Substitutes not used: Jalil Anibaba, Jack Maher, Elliot Panicco, Brayan Beckeles
OFFICIALS
Armando Villareal (referee), Benjamin Hall- Volpenhein, (assistant), Brooke Mayo, (assistant), Ted Unkel (fourth), Kevin Terry Jr. (VAR)
TEAM NOTES
- Jeff Larentowicz made his 389th start and 428th MLS Regular Season appearance. He is second all-time for appearances by a field player in MLS history behind Kyle Beckerman (490).
- Larentowicz scored his first goal of the season and 41st of his MLS career.
- Tyler Wolff made his first start for Atlanta. At 17.2 years old, Wolff is the fourth-youngest player to start in MLS this season and the second-youngest player to start a league match in club history (George Bello).
- Bello scored his first goal of the season and second of his MLS career.