The sparse crowd at Geodis Park reflected two things: a midweek game in September and two teams entering the game tied for second-to-last place in their conference.
These factors usually keep fans away from the stadium, but if Nashville SC can improve on its performance from Wednesday, the low attendance problem could soon resolve itself.
Nashville beat Chicago Fire 1-0 for their second win in as many games. Last Saturday they beat Atlanta United 2-0 for the first victory for manager BJ Callaghan.
After a dismal summer in which NSC lost eight games in a row in the MLS and went almost three months between two wins, they are suddenly just one point away from the Eastern Conference play-off places with five games left in the season.
“From day one of us all working together, it was very clear that we have a really committed group, a group that is committed to each other,” said Callaghan. “You look at the performances where that is clear to see. There are tactical and technical things but we are at a stage of the season where we are playing three games in seven days. We are going to fight for results, we are going to try and get results however we can.”
Where Nashville SC stands in the MLS playoff picture
The top nine teams in the East advance to the playoffs. Nashville (8-13-8, 32 points) is tied with Atlanta for 11th place, although Atlanta has a goal differential advantage. Philadelphia Union is in ninth place with 33 points. The Union’s goal differential gives them the tiebreaker against 10th-place DC United, who Nashville faces in its final home game of the regular season on October 2.
Nashville hosts FC Cincinnati, currently second in the East, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Nashville beat Cincinnati 2-0 away on May 28.
“I think everyone can see we’re better since (Callaghan) came in,” forward Sam Surridge said. “That’s probably the best thing we can see. We just have to look to Cincinnati. We get a nine-point week, who knows what’s going to happen. We’ve got a little bit of momentum.”
Nashville fights for victory despite little chance
Wednesday’s game was slow and defensive, with both teams creating few chances, but Nashville capitalized on one when Surridge headed home a Hany Mukhtar cross to make it 1-0 in the 19th minute.
That lead held for the rest of the night, even though Chicago (7-15-8, 29 points) outscored Nashville 9-5 in shots on goal and had more possession, 58 percent to 42 percent. Joe Willis blocked three shots to secure Nashville’s second consecutive clean sheet.
“Without the ball we were a team that was well linked, compact and difficult to play against and could force them into areas that were predictable for us,” said Callaghan. “With the ball we could have been better. We could have controlled the game a bit more.”
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Hany Mukhtar leaves the game late
Mukhtar, who has led Nashville in goals this season with 14, doesn’t often leave the field voluntarily. The last time he left a game in which he was a starter was on July 7 in a 4-1 loss to the Portland Timbers.
On Wednesday, Callaghan took Mukhtar off after 76 minutes. According to Callaghan, Mukhtar had asked to be substituted. Callaghan said after the game that he had not yet spoken to the medical team and was unsure whether Mukhtar was injured or just exhausted.
Jacob Shames can be reached via email at [email protected] and on Twitter at @Jacob_Shames.
