Match Preview: Atlanta United hosts Nashville SC for Latin Heritage Night

First Touches

• Atlanta United will be wearing the 17s' Kit | See the story and learn the colors.
• The 5-Stripes previous match was a 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium.
• After the MLS match, Atlanta United’s Unified team will play Nashville’s Unified team | Listen to our latest episode of History of Atlanta Soccer Poadcast as we cover the history of Unified.
• This is the first of two home matches for Atlanta in the coming week. On Wednesday, Sept. 18, they take on Inter Miami FC.

Match Details

• Date: Saturday, September 14
• Kickoff time: 7:30 pm
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium,
• Celebrating: Latin Heritage Night, Special Olympics Unified

Attending the match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium? View our detailed timeline and things to do before kickoff

How to watch, listen, and live stream Atlanta United vs. Nashville SC

• TV: Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
• Listen: Local radio 92.9 The Game and La Mejor.
• Live Stream: Stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV app or visit https://tv.apple.com/
• Follow along: Follow the match with real-time stats and live play-by-play on our Match Hub Page

Recent Form

The 5-Stripes will look to build on the momentum they built in their win against Charlotte FC. A sharp, long-ranged goal from Homegrown Jay Fortune gave Atlanta the 1-0 win over Charlotte. Fortune’s first MLS goal earned him a spot on MLS Team of the Matchday. Atlanta had a week off due to the international call up window. With an uninterrupted week of practice, newcomer Alexey Miranchuk has been able to spend more time with his new teammates. Miranchuk did shine during his first start with Atlanta, creating multiple scoring chances during the 90 minutes he played.

Atlanta is still fighting to get and maintain a playoff spot with seven matches left in the regular season. They are currently sitting at 10^th in the Eastern Conference with 31 points. Toronto and D.C sit at eighth and ninth respectively with 33 and 32 points. The 5-Stripes have a game in hand over both.

Nashville is in last place in the East but only five points behind Atlanta. Their previous match was a 3-0 road loss to Orlando City. They have a road record of 2-8-3.

Series History and Last Meeting

As regional rivals, the history between Atlanta and Nashville runs deep. “There’s always more on the line when it's a rivalry game. That's just a fact. And everyone would agree with that statement,” said Dax McCarty before the two clubs played at GEODIS Park earlier in the season. And if anyone knew about the rivalry it would be McCarty, who spent three seasons with Nashville.

There are no easy outs, and the evenness of the matchups show that; Atlanta has a record of 3-4-4 against Nashville. The last match was back in May in Nashville. The home club got on the board first after a penalty kick was awarded to them. But Atlanta United, with the help of a goal from Bartosz Slisz, rallied to walk away with a road draw. It was Slisz's first career MLS goal.

• See how Atlanta can get three points with the Tools to the Match.

Players to Watch

Pedro Amador (Atlanta United) – Along with Miranchuk, Pedro Amador is the newest face on Atlanta United. Since being acquired in early July, the Portuguese defender has slotted into the backline well; his impact is seen on both sides of the ball. In the recent win over Charlotte, he made five tackles, tied for highest in MLS for the week. He added five interceptions, the third highest in MLS that week. Amador’s 10 tackles + interceptions were the second-most for any player in MLS.

Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC) – In the previous match against Nashville, Hany Mukhtar gave Atlanta United fits. As an attacking midfielder with five goals on the season so far, Mukhtar is always around the ball, especially during transition moments in the game. In this series, Mukhtar has six goals and six assists in 10 career MLS appearances against Atlanta United.