Nashville SC Draws With Atlanta United After Historic Weather Delay

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Nashville SC and Atlanta United taking the field prior to kickoff. Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC

GEODIS Park was sold out on Saturday (May 21) for the highly anticipated match between Nashville SC and Atlanta United, but less than 10,000 fans would stay after a two hour and 53 minute weather delay to watch the two teams finish a 2-2 draw.

Just 18 minutes were played before the officials forced the players off the field and fans into covered shelter due to a lightning storm sweeping the area. The game would not restart until around 10:07 p.m.

“I think in some incredibly difficult conditions, both sides were able to keep themselves together and actually perform to a very decent level,” said head coach Gary Smith in a postgame press conference.

Three hours is a long time to wait to play a game, but when the clubs retook the field the play was as exciting and energetic as before the massive delay.

Nashville supporters congregating and chanting during the weather delay in the concourse of GEODIS Park. Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC

In just the 25th minute of play, seven minutes after the restart, Hany Mukhtar played a beautiful pass to CJ Sapong who crashed the ball into the back of the net to put the Boys in Gold up 1-0. Just like that the fans and energy in the stadium was back.

Two minutes later, Atlanta responded as the Nashville defense made a massive blunder in the penalty box when goalkeeper Joe Willis turned it over to Marcelino Moreno who set up Thiago Almada in front of the net to level the score at 1-1.

“[It was a] misplaced pass and it’s a gift of a goal. We see it around the world, and it never looks good when you’re trying to be constructive and someone makes a mistake inside the penalty area,” Smith added. “Two minutes after we scored and after such a long break, it was a bit of a kick in the teeth.”

But Nashville wasn’t done in the first half. Jack Maher launched a pass from outside the box right to Sapong in front of the keeper when he headed a pass to Mukhtar who headed it into the net, putting NSC up 2-1 and switching the momentum again.

There were a few more decent chances from both sides but nothing of substance before halftime, which was cut to only 10 minutes to make up for lost time.

In the second half, Nashville played well both offensively and defensively with Willis picking up some redeeming saves. But the offense couldn’t connect and a frustrated Nashville picked four yellow cards opposed to Atlanta’s one.

Hany and Sapong had a few chances to drive in the third goal and solidify a win over Atlanta but it didn’t come. Even with a few late substitutions, the Boys in Gold couldn’t get that last score.

Hany Mukhtar and CJ Sapong celebrating a goal. Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC

Very similarly to Atlanta’s visit to Nissan Stadium to face Nashville in 2021, United scored the equalizer in the 88th minute when Dom Dwyer scored off of a first touch pass from Brooks Lennon.

Nashville hosted Atlanta at GEODIS Park just 10 days prior in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 in which Nashville won 3-2 in extra time. Atlanta has been one of the toughest teams to beat especially in rivalry games like Saturday’s.

“The way Atlanta plays makes it very, very difficult to constantly keep them under pressure because of the quality they have,” Smith summed. “I think in terms of the two games in 10 days that we played them, as far as competitive games go, we’ve been toe-to-toe with this group.”

Saturday’s draw keeps Nashville in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with 19 points.

Next up, Nashville will head to Louisville to face Louisville FC in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday, May 25. After that, the Boys in Gold will play the Colorado Rapids in Denver on Saturday, May 28 before returning to GEODIS Park the following Saturday.

Steven Boero
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