Atlanta United Defeats Nashville SC, 1-0
MLS Atlanta United FC

Atlanta United Defeats Nashville SC, 1-0

Published on August 30, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Atlanta United FC News Release


Atlanta United's Jayden Hibbert on game night
Atlanta United's Jayden Hibbert on game night
(Atlanta United FC)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Atlanta United defeated Nashville SC 1-0 on Saturday night at Geodis Park. Ronald Hernández scored his first goal of the season while Jayden Hibbert made seven saves and ran his scoreless streak to 202 minutes to help Atlanta win its first road match of the season. It was the second consecutive clean sheet for the rookie goalkeeper, who is now unbeaten in three career starts.

Atlanta's first good opportunity of the match came in the 15th minute through Alexey Miranchuk. After a good sequence of possession play, Miranchuk was played in by Miguel Almirón at the top of the box. He took a touch and fired a left-footed curling shot towards the far corner but the shot went just wide. A few minutes later, Almirón won a dangerous free kick just outside the box.

Steven Alzate, making his starting debut, floated a perfect cross to the back post where Hernández rose above his defender with a powerful header into the top left corner off the post to give Atlanta the 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.

Nashville thought it had an equalizer in the 43rd minute. Following a corner kick, Josh Bauer flicked a ball into the path of Sam Surridge who finished from close range. But after video review, the goal was disallowed as Surridge handled the ball prior to it crossing the line.

After Hibbert made a couple of critical stops moments later, Jamal Thiaré nearly doubled Atlanta's lead in stoppage time of first half action. Miranchuk found him with a through ball going into the box. Thiaré chopped the ball onto his left foot, but Joe Willis made diving stop to keep the match 1-0 at halftime.

Nashville began the second half with a good chance from Surridge in the 51st minute. The striker was played in behind Atlanta's backline by Gaston Brugman and found himself 1-on-1 with Hibbert. His attempted shot was toward the left corner, but Hibbert got a touch on it to deflect the ball off the post. Hibbert was once again called into action in the 65th minute when he made a big near post stop after Mukhtar met a low cross eight yards out from goal.

Second half substitute Saba Lobjanidze had Atlanta's best chance of the second half in the 76th minute. After a long ball over Nashville's backline, the Georgian winger dribbled in on goal from the left side. Willis came out to cut down the angle and saved Lobjanidze's far post shot.

After each team made a pair of subs within the final 10 minutes, Nashville pushed for an equalizer with five shot attempts throughout six minutes of stoppage time. Hibbert made one save during that time, while most of the attempts went wide.

Atlanta United (5-12-11, 26 points) returns to action Saturday, Sept. 13 when it hosts Columbus Crew at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass, 92.9 The Game, La Mejor). All Atlanta United matches are available with an MLS Season Pass subscription, located on the Apple TV app.

Match Summary

Stats

Shots: 22-9 Nashville

Shots on target: 7-4 Nashville

Corner kicks: 12-1 Nashville

Fouls Committed: 14-11 Atlanta

xG: 2.0 - 0.7 Nashville

Possession: 57-43 Nashville

Passing accuracy: 89-84 Nashville

Scoring

ATL - Ronald Hernández 24' (Alzate)

Disciplinary

NSH - Andy Najar 37'

ATL - Jamal Thiaré 43'

ATL - Pedro Amador 53'

ATL - Ronald Hernández 58'

ATL - Jayden Hibbert 62'

NSH - Jeisson Palacios 71'

ATL - Bartosz Slisz 76'

ATL - Miguel Almirón 79'

ATL - Alexey Miranchuk 90+4'

Notes:

Atlanta United won its first road game of the season. They are 1-8-5 away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season.

Jayden Hibbert ran his scoreless streak to 202 minutes in MLS play. He's allowed just one goal in three career MLS matches.

It was Hibbert's second consecutive clean sheet. He's undefeated in three starts (1-0-2).

Ronald Hernández scored his first goal of the season and just his second goal of his MLS career

Steven Alzate recorded his first assist in his first start in MLS

Attendance: 27,270

ATLANTA UNITED STARTING LINEUP

GK: Jayden Hibbert

D: Pedro Amador

D: Enea Mihaj

D: Stian Gregersen (Juan Berrocal 72')

D: Ronald Hernández

M: Steven Alzate (Tristan Muyumba 61')

M: Bartosz Slisz

M: Alexey Miranchuk

F: Miguel Almirón (c) (Brooks Lennon - 86')

F: Luke Brennan (Saba Lobjanidze 61')

F: Jamal Thiaré (Cayman Togashi - 86')

Substitutes not used:

Brad Guzan

Nyk Sessock

Will Reilly

Leo Alfonso

NASHVILLE SC STARTING LINEUP

GK: Joe Willis

D: Josh Bauer (Daniel Lovitz 67')

D: Jeisson Palacios

D: Walker Zimmerman (c)

D: Andy Najar

M: Gaston Brugman (Teal Bunbury 83')

M: Patrick Yazbek (Edvard Tagseth 83')

M: Alex Muyl (Jonathan Perez 38')

F: Jacob Shaffelburg (Tyler Boyd 67')

F: Hany Mukhtar

F: Sam Surridge

Substitutes not used:

Xavier Valdez

Jack Maher

Bryan Acosta

Ahmed Qasem

OFFICIALS

Ismir Pekmic (referee), Cory Richardson (assistant), Kevin Lock (assistant), Elijio Arreguin (fourth), Daniel Radford (VAR), Fabio Tovar (AVAR)

Check out the Atlanta United FC Statistics

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Images from this story

Atlanta United's Jayden Hibbert on game night
Atlanta United's Jayden Hibbert on game night
   



Major League Soccer Stories from August 30, 2025


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