This was the first goal. There were ultimately many more. Mike Meredith/Club and Country
On to the semifinals.
Nashville SC and Minnesota United were engaged in a tense, cagey affair for 34 minutes. Then, Loons defender DJ Taylor took down a streaking Jacob Shaffelburg just outside the penalty area. Denial of Goal-Scoring Opportunity, red card. While Nashville couldn’t convert the ensuing free kick, they scored early and often in the aftermath.
Defender Shaq Moore got the party started, running onto the back post to send home a loose ball. Jacob Shaffelburg’s cross wasn’t quite steered on-frame by Hany Mukhtar, and the reigning Major League Soccer MVP was somewhat-charitably credited with an assist as Moore put the hosts in the lead.
From there, it got ugly. Just five minutes later, another Shaffelburg cross rattled around in the box, with striker Teal Bunbury and Mukhtar playing one of the less-graceful 1-2 combinations you’ll ever see with a couple aerial passes at close range before Bunbury poked it home. The 2-0 Nashville lead at the half was merely a harbinger of things to come.
Mukhtar picked up his second assist of the evening just five minutes into the final frame. His cross to Alex Muyl saw the Manhattan native head it past Loons keeper Dayne St. Clair to extend the lead. Then it was DP striker Sam Surridge – a halftime substitute for Bunbury – swinging through a bouncing square pass from Shaffelburg on a breakaway for the attacking duo. His left-footed goal was the second time finding the back of the net in as many substitute appearances for the Summer signing.
In the 59th minute, at long last, Mukhtar got on the scoresheet for himself, and he did it in his typical highlight-reel fashion. A designed set-piece play on a corner kick saw midfielder Brian Anunga thread a pass from Zone 14 into the box, where Dax McCarty (who had a pair of lovely second assists already) delivered a subtle backheel touch to put the German in at a tight angle. No sweat, and he slammed the ball into the roof of the net to extend the lead to five.
A healthy round of substitutions saw Nashville’s rhythm interrupted – and perhaps the Boys in Gold understandably play with a little less intensity – and the game would end with that scoreline.
With the victory, Nashville moves to within two games of winning a trophy for the first time in the club’s MLS existence. The winner of tonight’s LAFC/Monterrey match awaits on Tuesday, with the Rayados traveling to Nashville (or LAFC playing host as the Boys in Gold would have to travel to SoCal).
Starting lineups
Match events
- 27′ MIN Yellow card – 20 Wil Trapp (professional foul)
- 34′ MIN RED CARD – 27 DJ Taylor (Denial of Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity on 14 Jacob Shaffelburg)
- 36′ MIN Substitution – On 3 Zarek Valentin, off 7 Franco Fragapane
- 39′ NSH GOAL – 18 Shaq Moore (right-footed, first time), assisted by 10 Hany Mukhtar (layoff pass(?) from close range) and 14 Jacob Shaffelburg (left-footed cross from left wing)
- 44′ NSH GOAL – 12 Teal Bunbury (right-footed poke), assisted by 10 Hany Mukhtar (aerial pass at edge of the six-yard box)
- 45’+3 Half time
- HT NSH Substitution – On 9 Sam Surridge, off 12 Teal Bunbury
- 50′ NSH GOAL – 17 Alex Muyl (headed), assisted by 10 Hany Mukhtar (cross from right flank)
- 53′ NSH GOAL – 9 Sam Surridge (left-footed, first time falling), assisted by 14 Jacob Shaffelburg (square pass, falling on breakaway)
- 59′ NSH GOAL – 10 Hany Mukhtar (right-footed from tight angle), assisted by 6 Dax McCarty (right-footed backheel layoff) and 27 Brian Anunga (throughball after short corner)
- 61′ NSH Substitutions –
- On 5 Jack Maher, off 25 Walker Zimmerman
- On 7 Fafa Picault, off 14 Jacob Shaffelburg
- On 20 Aníbal Godoy, off 6 Dax McCarty
- 64′ MIN Substitutions –
- On 28 Mender García, off 22 Teemu Pukki
- On 42 Emmanuel Iwe, off 21 Bongo Hlongwane
- On 11 Jeong Sang-Bin, off Emanuel Reynoso
- 73′ NSH Substitution – On 26 Luke Haakenson, off 18 Shaq Moore
- 79′ MIN Substitution – On Bikaye Dibassy, off 20 Wil Trapp
- 90’+1 Full time
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