Nashville comes back in thrilling fashion to knock off Toronto FC

NASHVILLE – It’s never particularly easy with this club. Once again, Nashville was the stronger team for the majority of the contest in Nissan Stadium, but once again, the Boys in Gold faced multiple deficits throughout the contest. Once again, however, NSC managed to come back.

This time, they came all the way back, and it was a pair of 2020 SuperDraft picks providing the spark for a 3-2 win.

Less than two hours after the recall of his loan to San Diego Loyal was announced, Jack Maher put the score level at 1-1. He would only go on to be upstaged by his fellow sophomore: Luke Haakenson scored in the 83rd and 90+2 to get Nashville back to a level scoreline at 2-2, and then find the game-winner.

If not for that duo, it would have been a contest in which Nashville SC rued missed chances. Hany Mukhtar had a header and a one-v-one attempt both saved by Toronto keeper Quentin Westberg. Aníbal Godoy missed an open net on the doorstep at the conclusion of a set-piece scramble. If any of those goes the other way, Nashville may not have needed the heroics.

Instead, it was a 26th-minute Jonathan Osorio goal that Nashville initially had to respond to, and then an 82nd-minute tally that once again silenced the 17,008 fans in Nissan Stadium.

Haakenson woke them up. And he may very well have woken up the MLS world to another hidden gem on the banks of the Cumberland.

Starting lineups

Match events

• 2′ TOR Yellow card – 3 Eriq Zavaleta (foul)
• 26′ TOR GOAL – 21 Jonathan Osorio (left foot, sliding), assisted by 96 Auro Jr. (low cross)
• 32′ NSH Yellow card – 20 Aníbal Godoy (foul)
• 41′ NSH Yellow card – 19 Alex Muyl (foul)
• 45’+2 Half time
• HT TOR Substitution – On Noble Okello, off 10 Alejandro Pozuelo
• 56′ TOR Yellow card – 96 Auro Jr. (foul)
• 59′ TOR Substitution – On 2 Justin Morrow, off 21 Jonathan Osorio
• 59′ NSH Substitution – On 26 Luke Haakenson, off 19 Alex Muyl
• 62′ NSH GOAL – 5 Jack Maher (right foot), assisted by 10 Hany Mukhtar (right foot, corner kick)
• 69′ TOR Yellow card – 4 Michael Bradley (foul)
• 79′ TOR Substitution – On 13 Patrick Mullins, off 20 Ayo Akinola
• 81′ TOR GOAL – 13 Patrick Mullins, assisted by 4 Michael Bradley
• 83′ NSH GOAL – 26 Luke Haakenson, assisted by 20 Aníbal Godoy
• 90′ TOR Substitution – On 31 Tsubasa Endoh, off 96 Auro Jr.
• 90’+2 NSH GOAL – 26 Luke Haakenson (right foot), assisted by 2 Dan Lovitz
• 90’+3 NSH Yellow card – 26 Luke Haakenson (too turnt)
• 90’+6 Full time