Recap: Nashville SC make statement with win over Philadelphia Union

Nashville SC made a statement with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on Sunday. The Coyotes got their first-ever victory in Subaru Park, making it two wins in a row with a decisive (and controversial) win over the Eastern Conference leaders.

The XI

In his return to his hometown, head coach BJ Callaghan made just a single change to the matchday squad, bringing back winger Jacob Shaffelburg to a spot on the bench after the Canadian recovered from a minor injury. The starting lineup remained unchanged.

On the pitch

Sam Surridge gave Nashville an invaluable lead after just 15 minutes. The Englishman found himself on the end of a long diagonal from Walker Zimmerman after a missed header in midfield, giving him free run at the Union backline. The striker made no mistake, skipping past two defenders before smashing into the back of the net.

Philadelphia grabbed a goal back shortly after. Goalkeeper Joe Willis came off his line to punch a corner kick clear, catching a stray boot from his own teammate and staying on the ground. Jovan Lukić took advantage, hitting a rocket of a volley into an open net to level things.

Shortly before halftime, Ahmed Qasem bagged his second goal in his second start. The Swedish youth international got on the end of a clipped ball from Dan Lovitz, running behind the Union backline before finishing smartly at the back post.

Nashville pulled further ahead in the second half, albeit with plenty of controversy. Quinn Sullivan went down under a challenge from Dan Lovitz, cutting the ball back and seeing his momentum carry him into the defender. Referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere initially waved it off, and after a lengthy video review, he stuck with his initial call.

Nashville were again the beneficiary of VAR. Hany Mukhtar nearly caught Andre Blake off his line with a flicked header, and went down after a head-to-head collision with defender Jakob Glesnes. Pierre-Luc again went to the monitor, and awarded Nashville a penalty. Mukhtar stepped up, and this time made no mistake, chipping a cheeky panenka straight down the middle.

Philadelphia grabbed a late penalty of their own when Dan Lovitz clumsily brought down Chris Donovan in the box. But Quinn Sullivan's effort was saved by Willis, who comfortably held onto the follow up. By the time defender Olwethu Makhanya was sent off for frustratedly throwing a ball at Jacob Shaffelburg's head, the result was done and dusted.

The big picture

It goes without saying, but this was a statement win for Nashville. Last week's win against the Portland Timbers gave the team a needed three points and the supporters a needed boost, but beating a bad Timbers side at home should be the minimum expectation. Going to the Eastern Conference leading club, a team who had won each of their first three matches, and in a stadium where Nashville had never won, was a landmark win for Nashville.

Nashville have quietly been improving all season, and under BJ Callaghan they've made real, legitimate strides with the ball, as well as in the final third. After Sunday's win, those improvements might not be so unheralded anymore.

Highlights

Post-match quotes

Stats

Possession: PHI 62% – 38% NSH
Passes completed: PHI 342 – 197 NSH
Shots: PHI 11 – 12 NSH
Shots on goal: PHI 5 – 4 NSH
Penalty kicks: PHI 1 – 1 NSH
Expected goals: PHI 2.74 – 2.29 NSH
Goals: PHI 1 – 3 NSH
Fouls: PHI 11 – 20 NSH
Yellow cards: PHI 2 – 2 NSH
Red cards: PHI 1 – 0 NSH