Nashville SC steal a point in Orlando

The XI

With injuries and suspensions mounting up, Gary Smith was forced into somewhat of a makeshift lineup.

With Dan Lovitz serving a yellow card suspension and Taylor Washington a late entrant into the MLS Health and Safety Protocols, Eric Miller got the start at left wingback, while Alex Muyl shifted inside to a more central role next to Aníbal Godoy.

90 minutes

For the fourth consecutive match, Nashville conceded first. Daryl Dike ghosted behind Dave Romney to hit a low shot past Joe Willis from close range. Orlando nearly doubled the lead in the 33rd minute when a snapshot from Junior Urso was only denied by the woodwork.

Nashville pulled level through Hany Mukhtar. The German playmaker notched his 15th goal of the year, turning quickly in the box before finishing cooly to the far post. The strike came just minutes after Mukhtar had a strong case for a penalty denied by referee Alan Chapman.

Orlando thought they had earned a stoppage time winner, but Andres Perea’s goal was wiped out after a video review deemed that Daryl Dike had fouled Alistair Johnston after Alexandre Pato’s free kick struck the bar, saving a point for Nashville.

Big picture

Nashville take a three point lead on second place for the time being; Philadelphia Union have an enticing matchup against FC Cincinnati that could see them draw level on points with Nashville and pass them on tiebreakers. Regardless, the draw puts Nashville in excellent position for their Decision Day home match against New York Red Bulls.

Author: Ben Wrightis the Director of Soccer Content and a Senior MLS Contributor for Broadway Sports covering Nashville SC and the US National Team. Previously Ben was the editor and a founder of Speedway Soccer, where he has covered Nashville SC and their time in USL before journeying to Major League Soccer since 2018. Raised in Louisville, KY Ben grew up playing before a knee injury ended his competitive career. When he is not talking soccer he is probably producing music, drinking coffee or hanging out with his wife and kids. Mastodon

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