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MLS Nashville SC

Nashville SC's Unbeaten Run at Nissan Stadium Continues with 1-0 Win over D.C. United

September 24, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release


Nashville, Tenn. - Nashville SC got the job done on Wednesday night, beating D.C. United 1-0 in a dynamic offensive performance for the Boys in Gold at Nissan Stadium.

Forward Daniel Ríos scored the lone goal of the match and his first in Major League Soccer in the 70' minute on a header in the box. Tori Penso, the first female lead official in MLS since 2000, was busy throughout the match, showing a red card to D.C. United (2W-6L-5D) midfielder Russell Canouse in first-half stoppage time.

With the win, Nashville SC (4W-5L-3D) extended its home unbeaten streak to four matches. Goalkeeper Joe Willis also earned his fifth clean sheet, tying his career high.

Nashville played Head Coach Gary Smith's usual 4-2-3-1 formation, but lineup changes led to tactical adjustments. To start the game, forward Dominique Badji played on the right wing, winger Alex Muyl played on the left, Ríos started as the striker, and midfielder Derrick Jones played as the No. 10, right behind Ríos.

Beginning the match without regulars such as Hany Mukhtar and Daniel Lovitz, Smith had to switch things up again in the 21' minute when Badji went down with an injury. Winger Alan Winn replaced him, and it made for more flexibility in attacking areas as the 6-foot-4-inch Jones sometimes moved up to play as a de-facto target man for when Willis decided to bypass D.C.'s press with long passes.

Nashville SC finally found the breakthrough in the 70' minute thanks to Ríos' header. The game went end-to-end up until the final whistle, but Nashville dominated possession with 61.2%. The result sees NSC move back up to ninth place and remain above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, and the team holds a match in hand.

Daniel Ríos Takes His Chance:

Nashville's top scorer in the USL Championship last season, Ríos scored his first MLS goal in the 70' minute. The scorer of 20 goals last year, the Mexican striker broke the deadlock in the match. Right-back Alistair Johnston's corner-kick met center-back Dave Romney's head, and he flicked it on for Ríos to head home at the back post. He threatened the goal often: he curled a free-kick past the post in the 39' minute and had a hard shot saved in the 43' minute from the edge of the box.

Deep Midfield Dominance:

For the first hour of the match until captain Dax McCarty departed from the pitch for midfielder Randall Leal, the duo of McCarty and Aníbal Godoy controlled the middle of the park. They won their individual battles against D.C.'s attacking midfielders Julian Gressel and Yamil Asad, mopped up almost every loose ball in their area, played progressive passes and tested D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid a handful of times. Godoy, who is the second-most accurate passer in the league, passed the eye test with flying colors as he always looked up the field.

Derrick Jones' Dribbling Clinic:

Attacking midfielder Jones, starting in place of Mukhtar, cut through D.C.'s midfield like a knife through warm butter all match long. The former Philadelphia Union homegrown collected four fouls in the first half alone, two of which led to yellow cards for Canouse. Jones won two free kicks in prime scoring territory within 25 yards of the goal. His big frame and athleticism on the ball helped him glide past defenders, and he was the reason why Nashville had a man advantage for the second half. He continued his strong performance after he moved back into deep midfield when McCarty was substituted out, recycling possession next to Godoy to see out the last 28 minutes.

Key Stat:

6-1 corner kicks - Nashville had five more corner kicks than their opponents, one of which led to the match's only goal.

Other Notes:

Daniel Ríos, Nashville SC's first MLS signing, scored his first MLS goal

Taylor Washington made his first-ever MLS start Nashville held 61.2% possession

Joe Willis made one save to give him 28 on the season

Willis kept his fifth clean sheet of the season, tied for his single-season record

First of two consecutive matches where Willis plays one of his former clubs

First time in MLS history that NSC played against 10 men thanks to Russell Canouse's red card

Nashville SC extended its home unbeaten streak to four matches

No Designated Players started the match for either team

Randall Leal returned from injury, subbing on for McCarty in the 62' minute

Dan Lovitz was suspended for this match due to yellow card accumulation, ending his season-long streak of playing in every minute of every match. Dave Romney, Walker Zimmerman and Joe Willis remain as the only Nashville players with the same streak

Goals:

70' - Daniel Ríos (NSH), assisted by Dave Romney, Alistair Johnston

Disciplinary:

DC: Russell Canouse-37', 45+3' (unsporting behavior)

NSH: Taylor Washington-79' (unsporting behavior)

Starting XI: Joe Willis; Taylor Washington, Dave Romney, Walker Zimmerman, Alistair Johnston; Dax McCarty (Randall Leal-62'), Aníbal Godoy, Alex Muyl (Jalil Anibaba-83'), Derrick Jones, Dominique Badji (Alan Winn-21'); Daniel Ríos

Unused Substitutes: Elliot Panicco, Matt LaGrassa, Brayan Beckeles, Eric Miller, Tah Brian Anunga, Jack Maher

Up Next:

Nashville SC will host Houston Dynamo on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Nissan Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on TUDN, Twitter, ESPN 94.9 and El Jefe.

Check out the Nashville SC Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from September 24, 2020


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