The battle continues.
Nashville SC and Inter Miami played out a tense 0-0 draw at a rain-soaked GEODIS Park Wednesday night in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16. Nashville enjoyed the bulk of the attacking chances in a thrilling 90 minutes against its Eastern Conference Rival, setting up a knockout second leg in South Florida next week.
The Boys in Gold reverted to their early season formation with their lineup against Miami, opting for a 4-2-2-2 with Matthew Corcoran and Patrick Yazbek anchoring the midfield. This shape, which also included Cristian Espinoza and Warren Madrigal on the wings, made the Herons visibly uncomfortable throughout the match — squishing the center of the park and allowing Nashville’s litany of able runners to bomb forward.
Espinoza and Corcoran were particularly adept at this throughout a busy opening 45, forcing Miami to play on the defensive for extended stretches with their clever dribbling and incisive eyes for a pass. The rest of Nashville’s attack found plenty of space as a result, creating numerous chances for the home side to seize a lead.
Sam Surridge got close to doing so twice in the first half. The Englishman’s curler from the edge of the box flew just wide of the right post within 10 minutes, following a buttery passing sequence between Nashville’s wide players and Patrick Yazbek. And on the stroke of halftime, he forced Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair into a sprawling close-range save with a vicious half-volley from the penalty spot.
Madrigal, Hany Mukhtar and Andy Najar also had good opportunities to score in the first half, drawing nervy saves out of St. Clair and forcing the Herons to play mostly on the back foot. Both teams entered the locker room goalless after 45 minutes, but with the bulk of the best chances and attacking verve firmly in the hosts’ grip.
The pressure continued into the second half, again with Corcoran and Espinoza at the center of Nashville’s onslaught. Crafty work from the pair on the edge of the box within five minutes of the restart allowed left back Reed Baker-Whiting to fizz a ball across the box, barely missing a slew of Nashville heads packed around St. Clair. Surridge and Mukhtar each found additional opportunities in transition, as well, but were unable to convert.
Miami upped the ante out of the break, too, twice coming close to scoring through close-range efforts by Lionel Messi and Germán Berterame. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake stood tall to the task, though, stonewalling the Herons’ star Argentine with a superb point-blank save before Berterame dragged the rebound wide of the left post.
Schwake was just one cog of an overall stellar Nashville defense Tuesday night, with Baker-Whiting and Maxwell Woledzi producing standout performances.
Woledzi was a man-mountain in the center of the park, keeping Messi anonymous aside from that shot with his assertive clearances and rapid recovery pace. The Ghanaian was also a vital piece of Nashville’s build-up play with his mazy dribbling, getting the better of the Herons’ press numerous times with deep forays into center midfield. Baker-Whiting, meanwhile, locked down the left flank throughout an impressive 90minutes, severely hamstringing Miami’s ability to threaten from out wide.
The Boys in Gold return to MLS play this weekend, hitting the road for a Saturday afternoon clash with Columbus Crew ahead of a trip to South Florida for the second leg against Miami next Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. CT.
