Hany Mukhtar scores seventh goal in the Atlanta United rivalry

Nashville SC Improves to 4W-1L-6D at Home in 2024

Footage from Interim Head Coach Rumba Munthali and General Manager Mike Jacobs’ press conference available in the media resources below

Nashville Soccer Club earned a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United FC at GEODIS Park on Saturday afternoon in Interim Head Coach Rumba Munthali’s debut. Midfielder Hany Mukhtar scored for the Boys in Gold.

Salute to service: Saturday’s matinee at GEODIS Park served as Active-Duty and Veterans Appreciation Day. Prior to the opening kick, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) based at Fort Campbell, known as the Nightstalkers, conducted a flyover. Sergent First Class Christine Permenter performed the National Anthem, and the 101st Airborne Division Brass Band provided halftime entertainment.

Celebrate good times: Mukhtar converted a penalty kick in the match’s 40th minute for his third goal of the MLS season and his seventh against Atlanta United across all competitions. Three of Mukhtar’s seven tallies against the Georgia side have come via penalty kicks. Mukhtar celebrated his goal by announcing he and his wife, Ashley Mukhtar, are expecting their first child.

Georgia peaches: Georgia natives and Nashville SC’s defensive duo of Shaq Moore and Walker Zimmerman started together Saturday against Atlanta for the first time since March 2 at the Colorado Rapids. It was Moore’s first start since suffering an injury March 23 at LAFC. Nashville SC has now started 10 different backlines this season.

Double-header: Nashville SC’s Special Olympics Unified Team competed in its second match of the year Saturday at GEODIS Park, falling to Atlanta United FC’s Unified Team 2-0. Nashville Soccer Club, in partnership with Special Olympics Tennessee, hosted the match following the Boys in Gold’s draw against The Five Stripes.

Next up: Following a stretch of five matches in 21 days, the Boys in Gold will begin a run of three fixtures in seven days starting Saturday, May 25 when the club travels north to face CF Montréal. Nashville SC defeated Montréal 4-1 on May 4 at GEODIS Park.

Match timeline:

NSH 40’: Hany Mukhtar wins a penalty then steps up to the spot and buries it in the lower right corner

ATL 56’: Tristan Muyumba sends a ball to Bartosz Slisz, who sends a shot into the back of the net

Notes:

  • Nashville SC:
    • is on a three-match unbeaten streak at GEODIS Park (2W-0L-1D)
    • owns a 35W-26L-35D record all-time against Eastern Conference teams
    • extended its series history record against Atlanta United FC to 4W-3L-4D and its series record at home to 3W-1L-3D
    • Atlanta United FC has not won at Nashville since the series opening match on Feb. 29, 2020 at Nissan Stadium
    • extended its record to 11W-2L-7D all-time in May
    • extended its all-time record to 44W-7L-20D when scoring first
    • had 1.47 expected goals (xG) to Atlanta’s 0.59 xG
    • recorded 11 shots and five shots on goal
    • ‘s Special Olympics Unified Team played its second match of the season following the first team’s match
  • Nashville SC Interim Head Coach Rumba Munthali made his debut
  • Nashville SC’s America’s VetDogs Service-Dog-in-Training Cash was recognized pre-game for his final match at GEODIS Park before moving on to his final training
  • Sean Davis recorded his 250th career MLS regular season appearance
  • Aníbal Godoy
    • led the team with 91% passing accuracy on the day (minimum 30 passes)
    • is one match away from 100 regular season appearances as a Boy in Gold
  • Brent Kallman led the team with three clearances (also, Jack Maher)
  • Jack Maher led the team with three clearances (also, Brent Kallman)
  • Hany Mukhtar
    • recorded his third MLS goal of the season which he celebrated by announcing he and his wife Ashley are expecting their first child
    • recorded his third penalty kick goal across all competitions against Atlanta United FC
    • recorded his sixth goal contribution against Atlanta United FC at GEODIS Park
    • sits eighth among all active MLS players with 61 regular season goals scored
    • led the team 0.94 expected goals (xG) on the day
  • Alex Muyl is Nashville SC’s only player to have appeared in all 13 games this season
  • Shaq Moore recorded his third consecutive appearance and first start since returning from injury on May 11 at Charlotte FC

Box score:

Nashville SC (3W-4L-6D) vs. Atlanta United FC (3W-6L-4D)

May 18, 2024 – GEODIS Park

Final score:

NSH: 1

ATL: 1

Scoring summary:

NSH: Hany Mukhtar (Penalty Kick) 40’

ATL: Bartosz Slisz (A: Tristan Muyumba) 56’

Discipline:

ATL: Brad Guzan (Caution) 38’

ATL: Stian Gregersen (Caution) 44’

NSH: Sam Surridge (Caution) 45’ + 3

NSH: Josh Bauer (Caution) 90’

Lineups:
NSH starters: Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz, Jack Maher, Shaq Moore (Josh Bauer 46’), Walker Zimmerman (C) (Brent Kallman 64’); Hany Mukhtar, Jacob Shaffelburg, Aníbal Godoy (Amar Sejdić 80’), Sean Davis (Tah Brian Anunga 90’ + 1); Sam Surridge, Tyler Boyd (Alex Muyl 64’)

Substitutes: Elliot Panicco, Teal Bunbury, Taylor Washington 

ATL starters: Brad Guzan (C); Ronald Hernandez (Xande Silva 64’), Stian Gregersen (Luis Abram 64’), Brooks Lennon, Noah Cobb (Efrain Morales 72’), Caleb Wiley; Bartosz Slisz, Tristan Muyumba (Dax McCarty 84’), Saba Lobjanidze, Nicola Firmino (Jamal Thiare 46’); Daniel Rios

Substitutes: Josh Cohen, Edwin Mosquera, Luke Brennan, Jay Fortune

Match officials:

Referee: Drew Fischer

AR1: Lyes Arfa

AR2: Mike Nickerson

4TH: Alexis Da Silva

VAR: Chris Penso

AVAR: Craig Lowry

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 76 degrees

Nashville SC joined Major League Soccer on Feb. 29, 2020 in front of the largest attendance ever recorded for a soccer match in the State of Tennessee. In its inaugural MLS season, Nashville SC defied expectations by becoming the second MLS expansion side to win and advance to the Conference Semifinals in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Nashville SC returned to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in its sophomore season after becoming just the seventh team in MLS history to go unbeaten at home in a season. The Boys in Gold again qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in both 2022 and 2023, becoming just the third team in league history to reach the postseason during the team’s first four years in existence. Nashville SC inaugurated GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, in front of a sellout crowd of 30,109 on May 1, 2022. For more information, visit NashvilleSC.com and follow the club at @NashvilleSC on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and Spotify.