Hard-fought. Hard-earned. Hardly believable.
Saturday night was, to catastrophically understate, a dramatic one at GEODIS Park for Nashville SC. It seized a lead in the first half, fell behind in the second and came back twice in stoppage time to stun Columbus Crew 3-2, preserving MLS’s lone unbeaten run at home. The win propels the Boys in Gold nine clear in the Supporters’ Shield race through 21 games and cements them as the best team in league history through this stage of the season, having accumulated a record 49 points.
As the saying goes, hope springs eternal. So too does this incredibly resilient Nashville team.
The Boys in Gold, staring down a 2-1 deficit into the third minute of added time, did what they have done so often this season and found a way. Nashville looked down and out, deflated and about to lose until Reed Baker-Whiting stepped up to save at least a point, rising high to head Hany Mukhtar’s corner kick in to level proceedings.
That goal sent a tense GEODIS Park into raptures. But it barely had time to catch its breath before the metaphorical roof shot into orbit as Andy Najar found space on a breakaway and slotted into the bottom corner, prompting the entire Nashville team to bolt around the field in unrestrained ecstasy as yellow smoke billowed from the stands.
As improbably as Nashville’s comeback was, it was just as unlikely for it to trail in the first place. Columbus’ slew of attacking absences loomed large heading into the match. Be it through injury, like Wessam Abou-Ali, or transfers out, like Max Arfsten and Diego Rossi, the Crew entered Saturday’s match without any of their top three scorers on the season available, depriving them of any sort of talisman to center the offense around. That mattered little, though, as Columbus took advantage of their experienced midfield and defenders to equalize and seize a lead in the second half, forcing the Boys in Gold to find a way back.
Mohamed Farsi found space on the right side of the box after a Malte Amundsen feed from the penalty spot to beat Schwake for 1-1, 10 minutes before an Andre Gomes free kick made it 2-1. That put the Boys in Gold behind at GEODIS Park for the first time since May, forcing them to chase an equalizer and eventual winner.
The chaos of the match’s final few moments made the first half look a dud in comparison. Nashville’s talent edge kept it on the front foot and with most of the attacking momentum, but Columbus proved a tricky bunch to break through, using its veteran midfield to hold an advantage in possession and as a result a good amount of control. This rarely resulted in anything more than a speculative shot or an errant pass for the visitors, however, who gave the Boys in Gold’s league-leading back line almost nothing to worry about through the opening 45.
Mukhtar’s opener after 27 minutes was the lone exception to the rule. Even by the 2022 MLS MVP’s lofty standards, the finish was otherworldly — controlling a gorgeous cross from Dan Lovitz in the 27th minute before firing on the half-volley into the top deck. FotMob rated the chance with just 0.07 expected goals but 0.65 expected goals on target, a testament to the German’s decisiveness and quality when an opportunity presents itself.
Aside from the potential league-wide ramifications of a win, another primary storyline heading into Saturday was the potential return of Patrick Yazbek to the starting XI for the first time since May. The Australian was one of Nashville’s best players this season before injury robbed him of nearly four months, one well on course for an All-Star nod or a shot at the Team of the Season. His tireless running, progressive passing and willingness to carry the ball forward are second to none among other box-to-box midfielders in MLS, and his partnership with Eddi Tagseth and Matthew Corcoran in the center of midfield has a compelling case as the league’s finest when healthy.
Fans finally got to see their superstar No. 8 on Saturday and were treated to the same sort of display they fell in love with throughout the spring: a coast-to-coast heatmap, an abundance of touches and almost no mistakes. And another win.
Nashville takes a week of rest before closing out August with a rivalry matchup at GEODIS Park, welcoming FC Cincinnati on August 29.
NEXT HOME MATCH
