Nashville SC's Late Surge

Reed Baker-Whiting and Andy Nájar scored in second-half stoppage time to lift Nashville SC to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night, extending the home side's winning streak to three matches. Hany Mukhtar contributed a goal and an assist, according to the Associated Press.

Nashville, with a record of 15-2-4 and 49 points, holds the top spot in Major League Soccer, as reported by both the Associated Press and Yardbarker. The club has lost only once in its last 13 matches, according to the AP, and remains unbeaten at home with a 10-0-1 mark, per Yardbarker. That gives Nashville a 10-point cushion over second-place Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference, Yardbarker added.

A Back-and-Forth Match

Mukhtar opened the scoring in the 27th minute. Daniel Lovitz chipped an entry pass into the left side of the area, and Mukhtar shielded off a defender and struck a rising half-volley inside the near post, as the AP described. Yardbarker detailed the buildup: Lovitz lofted the pass from the left touch line, Mukhtar controlled it on the second bounce with his back to goal, fended off Taha Habroune, and fired a left-footed shot past keeper Patrick Schulte.

Columbus equalized in the 58th minute when Mohamed Farsi converted a first-time shot from the right side, his first goal of the season. The Crew then took a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute when André Gomes, who signed with Columbus in February, scored on a free kick from 27 yards out, his first career MLS goal, per the AP. Both reports noted Gomes is a 33-year-old Portugal international.

Late Heroics

Baker-Whiting's first career MLS goal came in the third minute of stoppage time when he headed in a corner kick from Mukhtar to level the match at 2-2. That goal came in his 74th league appearance, according to Yardbarker. Two minutes later, Nájar scored the winner from the right side of the box after a pass from Jeisson Palacio. Nashville had earlier beaten the Crew 1-0 in Columbus on March 14, the AP reported.

The Crew's Struggles

The Crew (5-11-5, 20 points) have now lost three straight and are winless in their last four, according to the AP. Yardbarker further details they are 1-4-1 in six matches since the World Cup break. The Crew also conceded the first goal for the sixth straight match, a trend noted by Yardbarker.

Mukhtar's Record Against Columbus

Mukhtar has scored seven goals in 12 career matches against Columbus — a statistic previously exclusively in the match reports, according to Yardbarker.

The noisy loss left Columbus with 20 points, while Nashville extended its lead at the top of the Eastern Conference. The way the match unfolded prompted both outlets to describe it as a comeback for Nashville, though neither provided quotes from players or coaches.

Sources

  • Associated Press
  • Yardbarker

This article was written based on the reports of the sources above.