After a lightning delay that pushed the start time back nearly two hours, Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF played to a scoreless draw Sunday evening in Fort Lauderdale.
Despite the lack of a scoring strike, it was an exciting, up-and-down game with a number of strong chance for each side. The home team had a slight possession advantage, but Nashville SC outshot IMCF 16-13. The Herons had the advantage in shots on goal, forcing keeper Joe Willis into five saves while NSC only bothered Luis Robles on four occasions.
One moment in particular will haunt Nashville as they head home from South Florida this evening, and that’s because it didn’t make Robles work. Left back Dan Lovitz earned a one-on-one chance against the veteran, and although he beat the keeper, his shot with 10 minutes remaining in regular time was pulled just wide of the post. Though Robles forced the miss by coming out of the net and taking away strong shooting angles, Lovitz will wish he’d been able to place his shot just a tough to the left, and given his team all three points.
In early stoppage time a handful of minutes later, a long strike from Nashville midfielder Aníbal Godoy forced a scrambling save from Robles, and strike Daniel Ríos couldn’t corral the resulting rebound quickly enough off his shoulder to get a shot away before the moment evaporated.
Miami had a number of strong chances of its own, though, with Designated Player Rodolfo Pizarro putting a volley from a cross several feet over an open net early in the contest. It was one of five Miami attempts from just in front of Willis’s six-yard box, and three others also failed to test the Nashville keeper.
in the end, an up=and-down game with a number of transition moments failed to find a winner – or a goal – due to imprecise finishing, and while neither expansion side will be thrilled with the result, both can build upon the moments the generated in the contest.
Starting lineups
Match events
- 19′ NSH Yellow card – 20 Aníbal Godoy (foul)
- 45’+1 Half time
- 54′ MIA Yellow card – 3 Andrés Reyes (foul)
- 54′ MIA Substitution – On 19 Robbie Robinson, off 21 Julian Carranza
- 62′ NSH Substitutions
- On 7 Abu Danladi, off 8 Randall Leal
- On 23 Taylor Washington, off 29 Alex Muyl
- 63′ NSH Yellow card – 7 Abu Danladi (foul)
- 70′ MIA Substitutions
- On 6 Wil Trapp, off 13 Victor Ulloa
- On 28 Brek Shea, off 22 Ben Sweat
- 73′ NSH Substitution – On 14 Daniel Ríos, off 9 Dominique Badji
- 79′ MIA Substitutions
- On 14 Jay Chapman, off Blaise Matuidi
- On 18 Dylan Nealis, off Lewis Morgan
- 90’+1 NSH Substitution – On 21 Derrick Jones, off 10 Hany Mukhtar
- 90’+5 Full time
Club and Country 