NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 15, 2021) – Nashville Soccer Club dominated D.C. United 5-2 on Sunday night in front of a crowd of 20,022 at Nissan Stadium, thanks to a pair of braces from CJ Sapong and Alex Muyl. The five goals ties the most scored in a match in its MLS history.
Striking Sapong: Nashville forward CJ Sapong was tonight’s Man of the Match against D.C. United by netting his eighth career brace. Sapong has scored six goals in his last six starts and is tied for the team lead in goals scored this season alongside Hany Mukhtar with eight.
Home Cookin’: The Boys in Gold have excelled when playing at home in overall MLS competition, maintaining an undefeated home record in the 2021 season, 7W-0L-5D. Nashville is the only team in MLS to not have suffered a home loss this season.
McCarty Makes History: Nashville SC Captain Dax McCarty’s appearance against D.C. United marked his 400th career MLS regular season appearance. McCarty is just the fourth outfield player in MLS history to cross the 400 matches played mark.
Nashville SC will return to action on Wednesday, Aug. 18 to face off against Orlando City SC at Nissan Stadium at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for Wednesday’s match are available at NashvilleSC.com/Tickets.
Match Timeline
D.C. 3’: Frederic Brillant scored a header from close range off a corner kick played in by Julian Gressel
NSH 14’: Randall Leal plays a cross into the box for CJ Sapong who slips a header into the bottom right corner of the goal
NSH 31’: CJ Sapong scores his second header of the match sending in the ball into the top right corner after receiving a pass from the end line off the foot of Hany Mukhtar
NSH 37’: Hany Mukhtar launches a rocket from outside the box which ricochets off of the crossbar and into the goal
DC 41’: Paul Arriola plays a through ball to Ola Kamara who slides a left footed shot past Willis
NSH 80’: Alex Muyl ripped a right footed shot from the center of the box past D.C.’s keeper into the bottom right corner
NSH 87’: Alex Muyl converted Nashville SC’s second penalty kick of the season with a shot into the bottom right corner
Notes
- Nashville SC has the third highest goal differential in the Eastern Conference with +12
- Nashville SC pulled off its eighth come from behind result of the season
- Nashville SC scored three goals in a single half, the fifth time in club history
- Head Coach Gary Smith improved his MLS home record to 34W-9L-21D with a .669 winning percentage
- Randall Leal and Hany Mukhtar both added an assist in tonight’s match, the two are currently tied for first in assists in Nashville SC’s history with 10 each
- Dan Lovitz notched his fifth assist of the season, tying his career high made in 2018 with Montréal Impact
- Alex Muyl scored his second brace of his MLS career
- Daniel Ríos made second appearance of the season as a substitute in the 84th minute, his first appearance since June 26 against CF Montréal
- Dave Romney registered his second assist this season
- Walker Zimmerman appeared as a substitute in the 60th minute, his first appearance for the club since July 3 against Philadelphia Union after recovering from an injury suffered while in international duty with the USMNT
BOX SCORE
Nashville SC 7W-2L-10D vs. D.C. United 8W-8L-3D
August 15, 2021 — Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
Final Score
NSH: 5
DC: 2
Scoring Summary
DC: Frederic Brillant (Julian Gressel) 3’
NSH: CJ Sapong (Randall Leal) 14’
NSH: CJ Sapong (Hany Mukhtar) 31’
NSH: Hany Mukhtar (Dave Romney) 36’
DC: Ola Kamara (Paul Arriola) 41’
NSH: Alex Muyl 80’
NSH: Alex Muyl 87’
Discipline
N/A
Lineups
NSH: Joe Willis; Daniel Lovitz, Jalil Anibaba (Walker Zimmerman 60’), Dave Romney, Jack Maher, Alistair Johnson; Dax McCarty (C) (Tah Brian Anunga 78’), Hany Mukhtar (Aké Loba 85’), Aníbal Godoy; Randall Leal (Alex Muyl 78’), CJ Sapong (Daniel Ríos 84’)
Unused Substitutes: Abu Danladi, Taylor Washington, Luke Haakenson, Bryan Meredith
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Mukhtar, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Three tied, 3); FOULS: 13 (Godoy, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 2; POSSESSION: 50.6%
DC: Jon Kempin; Frederic Brillant (C), Steve Birnbaum (Joseph Mora 73’), Tony Alfaro; Junior Moreno, Paul Arriola, Moses Nyeman (Drew Skundrich HT), Yordy Reyna (Edison Flores 73’), Kevin Paredes (Ramon Abila 74’), Julian Gressel, Ola Kamara
Unused Substitutes: Chris Seitz, Chris Odoi-Atsem, Felipe, Yamil Asad, Griffin Yow
TOTAL SHOTS: 8; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 15; OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 2; POSSESSION: 49.9%
Referee: Drew Fischer
AR1: Cameron Blanchard
AR2: Chris Elliot
4th: Ted Unkel
VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.
AVAR: Craig Lowry
Weather: Light rain, 73 degrees.
