Rapid Review: Nashville SC bests Inter Miami CF in Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16, advances to quarterfinals on away goals rule

Survived. Advanced.

Nashville SC booked its place in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals Wednesday evening in Ft. Lauderdale after a tense 1-1 draw with rival Inter Miami CF. Cristian Espinoza’s 74th-minute winner proved decisive for the Boys in Gold, securing their win via the away goals rule and a first-ever knockout series win against the Herons.

Goalkeeper Brian Schwake was called into action from the jump on Wednesday — an instant indication that this game would flow differently from last week’s lopsided first leg. The 24-year old’s five saves marked another impressive evening for Nashville’s new starting goalie even without a clean sheet. He produced stellar stops on Germán Berterame and Tadeo Allende in the first half and was composed throughout a tensesecond, only getting beat by Lionel Messi’s low-driven goal in the seventh minute. 

Schwake was just one cog in a Nashville defense that, again, frustrated the Herons over 90 minutes. Maxwell Woledzi and Jeisson Palacios offered more than enough recovery speed to compete with Miami’s front line, as did Andy Najar and Dan Lovitz, while the midfield double-pivot of Patrick Yazbek and Matthew Corcoran helped Nashville dictate play and break through the press. 

This back-to-front fluidity allowed the Boys in Gold to regain some control after going down. Cristian Espinoza and Hany Mukhtar conjured a slew of great chances down the right wing in the 15 minutes or so since Messi’s goal, fizzing numerous passes just over the face of goal and making Miami’s defenders scramble. The duo combined beautifully on a crafty free kick as well, slipping a pass beyond the wall before rocketing a shot at Dayne St. Clair’s near post.  

None of these efforts found the back of the net. But they did force Miami back on the defensive, a position that allowed Nashville immense momentum a week prior. The Boys in Gold looked equal to Miami throughout the rest of a fairly uneventful first 45, entering the locker room down 1-0. 

Nashville’s relentless press sustained after the break, with both teams unable to break the other down. The injection of Reed Baker-Whiting and Alex Muyl added some zhuzh for the visitors, however, who gained speed and industry on the wings that allowed them to create more opportunities. 

Mukhtar went close within a few minutes after the substitutions, setting the stage for a frantic final quarter-hour. Yazbek played the Nashville captain in on a vicious counterattack that left the German unmarked as he charged forward, but his shot flew over the bar. That seemed to be Nashville’s best opportunity — until Espinoza decided otherwise.

The Argentine winger blitzed down the right flank in the 74th minute before laying the ball off to Muyl, whose shot ricocheted off St. Clair and looped goalward. The Canadian goalkeeper parried away once more, but only as far as Espinoza’s speeding right foot. That goal, Espinoza’s second since joining the Boys in Gold this offseason, secured a historic win for Nashville and its spot in the next round. What a start to life in Music City.

The Boys in Gold return to GEODIS Park this weekend for an MLS clash with Orlando City, scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. They will play one of Club América or Philadelphia Union in the Champions Cup quarterfinals, with game times to be announced at a later date.