NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC closed out the first half of their season with a win at home, beating New York City FC 2-1 thanks to goals from both their center backs.
Nashville and Major League Soccer will pause their season for nearly two months for the FIFA World Cup, returning to play in mid-July.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: It wasn't a vintage performance from Nashville, who were pinned back for much of the second half against a New York City side who controlled the ball well, but got two scrappy goals from defenders Jeisson Palacios and Maxwell Woledzi to pull off their sixth win at home in seven league matches.
- What we learned: Nashville were resilient and did just enough, although they lacked their usual quality in the final third and struggled to get pressure on New York quickly enough. They badly need the two-month break to rest and get key players healthy.
- Big picture: The win ensures that Nashville will go into the break on top of the Supporters' Shield standings, with 33 points from their first 14 matches. They still have 20 regular-season matches left to play, but they've built a formidable foundation for the second half of the year.
Key moments
- 4' | After a fantastic turn, Hany Mukhtar goes down in the box. While there was contact, replays showed it to be minimal and no penalty was given.
- 12' | A rare break from New York ends at the feet of Nicolas Fernández Mercau, whose shot is right down the middle and saved by Brian Schwake.
- 17' | Jeisson Palacios opens the scoring, blasting a bullet header into the net after a stellar corner kick from Cristian Espinoza.
- 23' | Fernández Mercau pulls a goal back for the visitors after Malachi Jones drew a penalty, beating both Reed Baker-Whiting and Bryan Acosta before going down under minimal contact.
- 34' | Jones sets up what should have been a second for the Pigeons, comfortably beating Maxwell Woledzi on the dribble and cutting back for Fernández Mercau, whose shot hits the side netting.
- 48' | Nashville start the second half well, with Hany Mukhtar driving a low cross/shot across the face of the goal before Warren Madrigal's rebound is blocked out for a corner.
- 49' | New York can hardly clear the ball before Nashville take the lead. Acosta whips in a gorgeous cross for Woledzi, who opens his Nashville account with a header off the bar and in.
- 58' | Another fantastic chance for Nashville, with Mukhtar smashing a shot from a tight angle for Matt Freese to parry over the bar.
- 90+2' | Schwake makes a match-saving stop to deny Fernández Mercau from point-blank range, sticking a reactionary foot out to preserve the lead.
Standout performers
- Brian Schwake was always a long shot at best to earn a spot on the United States World Cup roster, but he's almost certainly the most in-form American goalkeeper, with a handful of fantastic saves to preserve three points for the 'Yotes.
- Maxwell Woledzi has endeared himself to the Nashville faithful already this season, and his goal celebration was on brand. His defensive performance was on-point, too, with a few key recovery runs to stop New York from getting in behind.
- Bryan Acosta had another solid shift in midfield, setting the tempo and whipping in a perfect assist for Woledzi's first-ever Music City goal.
Lineup notes
No changes to the starting lineup from head coach BJ Callaghan, but striker Sam Surridge came back to the bench after missing six matches with a back injury. Surridge is Nashville's leading scorer, with 10 goals despite playing under 40% of potential minutes in all competitions.
What it means
Nashville head into the World Cup break on top of the Supporters' Shield standings, with 10 wins from their opening 14 matches and unbeaten at Geodis Park. While it's incredibly early to be looking at the table, they're on track to be the earliest team in the league to officially clinch a playoff spot.
Up next
Nashville won't play an official game for 55 days, with MLS pausing the entire schedule for the World Cup break. They'll have some time off, and then hit the training pitch and a few friendly matches before resuming their league campaign on Friday, July 17, against Atlanta United at Geodis Park.
Stats
Possession: NSH 48% – 52% NYC
Shots: NSH 12 – 7 NYC
Shots on goal: NSH 6 – 4 NYC
Penalty kicks: NSH 0 – 1 NYC
Goals: NSH 2 – 1 NYC
Expected goals: NSH 0.75 – 1.36 NYC
Total Passes: NSH 395 – 426 NYC
Fouls: NSH 11 – 12 NYC
Yellow cards: NSH 2 – 1 NYC
Red cards: NSH 0 – 0 NYC
Announced attendance: 25,835
