Match Recap: Nashville SC rue home mistakes, lose to rival FC Cincinnati 2-1
(Image courtesy of Nashville SC)
Saturday night, we were treated to the 14th installment of a rivalry fixture that predates each club’s stint in Major League Soccer, as Nashville SC and FC Cincinnati renewed acquaintances at GEODIS Park.
Coming into the game, Nashville held a slim 3W8D2L advantage. It’s all even now. Let’s dive in.
The Lineup
(Image courtesy of Nashville SC)
Two changes were made to the side that defeated CF Montréal, as Patrick Yazbek and Ahmed Qasem returned from illness and were immediately put into the starting 11.
Joining Yazbek in the middle was Nashville’s second-favorite blonde boy Eddi Tagseth, while Qasem was in a front line containing Alex Muyl, Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge.
At the back, Josh Bauer got another start, alongside Joe Willis in goal, as well as Walker Zimmerman, Jack Maher, and Dan Lovitz.
Nashville’s first ranked favorite blonde boy, Jacob Shaffelburg, was one of five substitutes to see the field, alongside fellow international duty returnee Andy Najar, as well as Gastón Brugman. Also going in from the bench was Jonathan Pérez, who scored against Montréal, and Teal Bunbury who became just the 14th player in MLS history to make 400 regular season appearances across stints with Sporting Kansas City, New England Revolution, and of course Nashville SC.
Bunbury is also sat on 93 appearances in all competitions for the Boys in Gold, and you would think he should be able to hit the century mark sometime this season.
Between the Whistles
The atmosphere was tense with just the faintest drizzle in the air as the referee signaled for Nashville and Cincinnati to kick off.
The opening blows of this (middleweight? light heavyweight?) boxing match were fairly tame. Both teams created a handful of half chances, with nothing to show for it. The biggest of these came for Nashville, as Hany Mukhtar missed the target on what would’ve been a tap in in the 12th minute.
However, in the end, Nashville were the first to break through. In the 39th minute, Eddi Tagseth clipped in a cross that was half cleared by Cincinnati, which fell right at the feet of an unlikely hero. A goalscorer against Montréal, a goalscorer against Cincinnati, it was right back Josh Bauer who volleyed home the opening goal to put the hosts in front.
Nashville needed to get to the halftime break with their advantage, but it was not to be. A foul about ten yards outside the box set up a 43rd minute free kick for the Brazilian maestro Evander to emphatically score. Goal of the Week contender stuff from the former Portland man.
The half came and went, and the second 45 began with much more fireworks than the first. In the 47th minute, Kevin Denkey bundled into Walker Zimmerman during a corner, resulting in a penalty for the hosts.
However, much the same as in the first half, Nashville would get the first big chance, it would fall to Hany Mukhtar, and he would fail to convert. Mukhtar’s penalty was saved, his fourth miss in his last seven attempts from the spot.
The game remained testy for nearly the remainder of the game, and a draw looked on until a ball struck Zimmerman’s arm in his own box just before the clock hit 90 minutes.
Up stepped Denkey, the villain on the first penalty decision, but the hero on the second. A stutter step sent Joe Willis the wrong way, and the Togolese forward put his side ahead with just stoppage time to go.
Teal Bunbury came inches from a heroic leveler, but it was not to be. Cincinnati walked away with all three points thanks to three key Nashville mistakes.
The Numbers
Nashville SC
Shots- 15
Shots on target- 8
Possession- 48.0%
Corners- 4
xG- 2.8
Yellow Cards- 1 (Eddi Tagseth)
FC Cincinnati
Shots- 18
Shots on target- 6
Possession- 52.0%
Corners- 5
xG- 2.4
Yellow Cards- None
Analysis
At the end of Between the Whistles, I referred to three Nashville mistakes. Those three are the two misses from Hany Mukhtar, and the foul that lead to Evander’s free kick goal.
Nashville played really well in this game. But when you’re coming up against good teams at home, you absolutely cannot afford that many key mistakes. If Mukhtar scores his two chances, it’s 3-1 when Denkey places the ball on the penalty spot in the 91st minute, and we’re having a totally different discussion. Even if he just scores the penalty, that changes things.
Nashville have placed a gap between themselves now and six months ago that’s approximately the size of Venus. This is a much, much improved team. Even as someone who was way more optimistic than most, predicting Nashville to finish sixth in the Eastern Conference, they’ve blown me away.
There is a confidence and a fluidity about the way Nashville play from a game to game basis that has not been seen since the club moved into GEODIS Park in 2022. But, again, you cannot afford that many mistakes against good teams.
Those mistakes open you up to moments like the Zimmerman handball, which was the correct call, but incredibly, unbelievably, cosmically unlucky. When you miss a tap in, and a penalty, and give probably the best free kick taker in the league not named Lionel Messi a free kick in a dangerous position, moments like that handball change the game.
What could, maybe should have been a draw, became Nashville’s first loss in 28 days. Heartbreaking stuff.
Up next for the Boys in Gold is a trip to Charlotte, who lost 2-0 on the road to Colorado this weekend. However, Charlotte boast a truly incredible record at home, having lost just four times inside Bank of America Stadium since Nashville last won there in May of 2023. You read that correctly.
That’s something we’ll dive into a little later in the week, stay tuned!