Watch: This Is The First-Ever Goal For Atlanta United Soccer Club

ATLANTA, GA -- The shot boomed like a Civil War cannon. Like Hammerin' Hank on that fateful night in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Like Dave Justice's homer in the '95 World Series. That was what it was like when Atlanta United scored the city's first goal in its inaugural game Sunday.

More than 55,000 people packed into Bobby Dodd Stadium in Midtown to see the historic debut, which Atlanta would lose 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls.

No matter the score, the electricity surrounding the event signaled a new era in the pantheon of Atlanta sports. Professional soccer has officially arrived in Atlanta.

Georgia Tech's stadium, accustomed to big, raucous crowds, turned out to be the perfect venue as tens of thousand of fans donned the team's black and maroon jerseys and broke out into spontaneous chants.

Atlanta United comes to the city just weeks after a demoralizing blow to the city's sports culture: The Falcons blew a 25-point lead to the, well, you know the rest.

The game began with a decidedly younger-looking Atlanta United beating New York to the ball. Once the match began, it was only about 25 minutes in until the magic happened: Atlanta scored.

And just like that, Atlanta led for the first time in its young history. The goal was scored by Yamil Asad, an Argentine midfielder who came to the city from Vélez Sarsfield, Argentina's top ballclub.

Fans went bonkers when the goal crossed the net, with high-fives, hugs and beer spilling every way you looked. It would be a short lead, New York would score once and then again before hanging on in the final minutes.

Unlike a month ago, the loss did not deter fans one bit about the future of the ballclub. Atlanta United FC had proved that it belonged. The future looks bright for pro soccer in the city.

The team will play at Georgia Tech this season before moving downtown into Mercedes Benz Stadium, where the Falcons will also play.

AU's next game is against Minnesota United on March 12. They are going to win that one.

Image via Pixabay