Rapid Review: Mohammed’s goal the difference as Nashville SC solidifies grip on Supporters’ Shield lead

It wasn’t its prettiest. Nor its most ruthless. But a moment of magic made all the difference. 

Nashville SC, playing its first MLS contest in nearly two months, was made to work for it on a humid Friday night at GEODIS Park against Atlanta United, riding Shak Mohammed’s second career league goal to a 1-0 win against its longstanding rival. The victory sends the Boys in Gold five points clear in the Eastern Conference and four points ahead in the Supporters’ Shield standings, having played one more game than second place Vancouver. 

One key story of the match unfolded before kickoff, with numerous starting mainstays unavailable. Cristian Espinoza, Warren Madrigal and Reed Baker-Whiting  missed the matchday squad entirely, while Jeisson Palacios and Andy Najar adorned the bench as both worked their way back to full fitness. 

The attacking ranks thus featured in Ahmed Qasem and Shak Mohammed alongside Sam Surridge, making his first start for the club since early April. Eddi Tagseth returned in the center of midfield for the first time sincethis spring as well, adding a feistiness and energy that helped Nashville gain control of the match after a shaky opening period. 

Atlanta enjoyed the bulk of the early pressure, testing Nashville’s changed defense — Jack Maher and Josh Bauer started — with a series of dangerous runs down the wings, many through Paraguayan forward Miguel Almirón. But beyond that early scare, the Boys in Gold began to exert their influence and slowly grew into the match. Tagseth and Matthew Corcoran’s ability to cover ground as the double-pivot in a 4-4-2 opened room for the attackers to run forward, helped immensely by Qasem and Mohammed’s effectiveness in winning the ball back. 

Corcoran also proved vital on the defensive end. The teenager threw his body on the line on the stroke of halftime, almost single-handedly preventing an Almirón goal near the penalty spot.

Dan Lovitz had the best chance of the half before the first hydration break when he nearly connected a Hany Mukhtar lay-off after a corner kick. But both teams entered the locker room yet to truly carve out any chances of note. 

Atlanta started the second looking the more dangerous of the two sides, pinning the Boys in Gold near their own box as Almiron danced around the edges. But Brian Schwake and the rest of Nashville’s defense held firm amidst the onslaught, with Bauer and Mohammed putting in several crucial tackles. 

The American goalkeeper produced perhaps the play of the game on the eve of the 60-minute mark, splaying out to complete a jaw-dropping save as Atlanta squared up a shot from close-range. That stop secured his eighth clean sheet of the season, the most of any goalkeeper in MLS.

The Boys in Gold, still seeking an opener, made a series of changes as the match entered its final stages, bringing Palacios on for Maher, Najar on for Bauer and Alex Muyl on for Qasem. The latter took almost no time to stamp himself on the match, sending an inch-perfect in-swinging cross to the center of the box that Mohammed got his head on.

The ball looped off the Ghanaian’s head before settling in the far side netting, leaving the Atlanta goalkeeper flat-footed. Make that two late goals in two matches for Mohammed, whose first career MLS goal came in the dying embers of April’s match at Atlanta. 

The Boys in Gold have an abridged rest before returning to play, first at GEODIS Park on Wednesday against CF Montreal ahead of a weekend trip to Orlando.

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