Recap: Nashville SC implode against DC United, likely ending their playoff hopes

NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC’s playoff hopes all but officially ended on Wednesday night with a 4-3 loss to DC United at Geodis Park. The Coyotes conceded three goals in the final 15 minutes to blow a 3-1 lead, effectively sealing their finish outside the playoffs for the first time in their seven years as a professional club.

The XI

Head coach BJ Callaghan made a pair of changes, bringing Jacob Shaffelburg and Patrick Yazbek back to the starting lineup.

Randall Leal was once again named to the bench, with Sean Davis a healthy scratch.

On the pitch

The Coyotes played some of their best soccer of the season for the opening 75 minutes. Alex Muyl opened the scoring in the sixth minute with his third goal of the year, a well-taken finish after a gorgeous chipped assist from Aníbal Godoy. The midfielder would make it a brace in the 62nd minute, finishing off a counter-attack after a perfectly weighted assist from Hany Mukhtar.

In between was an unstoppable free kick from the 2022 MLS MVP, who curled a set piece around the wall past a helpless Alex Bono to put Nashville on track for a vital home win. The midfielder has logged two goals and three assists in his last five games, a return to his prior form after a year of waning production.

Nashville had plenty of chances to extend their lead, missed chances that came back to haunt them. Godoy rattled the post on wide open goal after a header from Walker Zimmerman gave him a clear look at goal. Muyl and Zimmerman combined for the biggest miss of the night; the former hit the post from point blank range and the latter headed the rebound over from even closer. And Mukhtar himself had a game-changing miss, hitting the post after rounding Bono. Had he converted, Nashville would have had a commanding 4-1 lead.

Instead, they left DC a foothold. Defender Lucas Bartlett initially equalized for DC in the 24th minute before Nashville continued to pull ahead. In the 76th minute, everything changed. Christian Benteke scored his league-leading 22nd goal of the season, deflecting a cross from Jacob Murrell from close range. Still, Nashville held a single-goal lead heading into stoppage time, subbing on center back Josh Bauer to hold off DC’s attack.

It didn’t work. Second half substitute Gabriel Pirani scored in the 94th minute to equalize and again in the 97th minute to win. What remained of the sparse Geodis Park crowd (announced as an comically inflated 28,863) was stunned into silence as Nashville’s playoff hopes evaporated before their eyes.

The big picture

In the 76th minute, up 3-2, Nashville were in 11th place in the Eastern Conference table, just a single point out of the playoff spots. 15 minutes later, they dropped to 13th place, four points off the playoffs with three teams between them and the final post-season berth.

A win from one of Philadelphia Union, DC United, or Toronto FC on Saturday would eliminate Nashville before they even step foot on the field. Likewise, a Nashville loss or draw against New York City FC on Sunday would see Nashville eliminated.

Nashville had one objective for 2024 under BJ Callaghan. They gave themselves absolutely no wiggle room with blatantly sub-par performances against Orlando City and Austin FC, and their failure last weekend at New England dug them even deeper in a hole. Still, they looked set for a statement win that would put them in a six-pointer against DC United.

Instead, they choked their playoff hopes away with naïve, immature defending against an opponent that understood the moment more and stepped up to the challenge. It was a performance reminiscent of last year’s playoff exit to Orlando City, a jarringly flat showing that belied the occasion. It’s a performance that leaves Nashville heading into the offseason with more questions than answers.

Up next

Nashville SC travel to face New York City FC on Sunday, October 6, at 3:00 pm CST. It’s a must-win match for the Coyotes, but by Saturday night the result could be purely academic.

Post-match media

Stats

Possession: NSH 36% – 64% DC
Passes completed: NSH 228 – 443 DC
Shots: NSH 19 – 28 DC
Shots on goal: MSH 4 – 10 DC
Penalty kicks: NSH 0 – 0 DC
Expected goals: NSH 2.56 – 3.77 DC
Goals: NSH 3 – 4 DC
Fouls: NSH 13 – 11 DC
Yellow cards: NSH 3 – 3 DC
Red cards: NSH 0 – 0 DC