In a dramatic away effort, two heroes on either end sealed the result. The lone goalscorer, Ronald Hernández, and the man between the sticks, Jayden Hibbert, were instrumental in the Music City.
The two helped Atlanta United to their first ever win at GEODIS Park Saturday, Aug. 30. On Tuesday, the MLS Team of the Matchday featured Hernández and Hibbert in the starting XI and Steven Alzate on the bench. It's the first time that Atlanta United has had two representatives in the starting XI this season — and also the first time the club has had three players named to the squad in total.
Hernández's game-defining goal almost didn't happen — Atlanta United took their first free kick but the head official blew the whistle to retake it. On the second go around, Alzate's ball was magical, and Hernández met it with a leap. The header was pure, kissing the left post on its way into the net to put the 5-Stripes ahead in the 24th minute.
Alzate's assist, along with a complete performance in his first ever start with Atlanta United, earned him a spot on the Team of the Matchday bench. His ability to occupy tight spaces and serve as a connector in attacking buildup was vital on the evening.
Though the attacking phase had its moments, it was Hibbert who played closer in an acrobatic effort down the stretch to pick up three points. The 21-year-old started his second consecutive match, just his fourth career start with the First Team. He made seven saves, one-on-one stops, leg saves and leaping grabs included.
His athleticism was on full display, but the positioning strides he's made in his few starts have been massive. Hibbert saved Hany Mukhtar's chance in the 66th minute by closing in on him at the back post without an ounce of hesitation.
To quantify just how clutch of a performance Hibbert put on, we can look at the amount of post-shot expected goals he faced on the night. The statistic tracks the probability that a goalkeeper will make a save on shots throughout a match. Hibbert faced seven on target that racked up a total of 1.5 PSxG, and he didn't concede a single one.
Saturday night saw Hibbert's second consecutive clean sheet and, more importantly, the first time Atlanta United picked up three points on the road this season.
