Hany Mukhtar converted a penalty in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time for 10-man Nashville SC, who defeated the Philadelphia Union 1-0 on Saturday evening.
Nashville (12-4-5, 41 points) played nearly the final half-hour — plus stoppage time — with 10 men but found a dramatic winner through Mukhtar, who scored after video review determined he had been taken down in the box by the Union’s Olwethu Makhanya.
The victory Nashville’s win streak to four matches and their unbeaten streak to 12 matches in league play (8-0-4).
Philadelphia (12-5-4, 40 points) has dropped back-to-back matches since seeing its 11-match unbeaten streak end with a 1-0 loss to the Columbus Crew on June 29.
With both teams looking to break a scoreless draw in the second half, Nashville’s Jonathan Perez caught the Union’s Tai Baribo with a high boot in the 63rd minute. Referee Rubiel Vazquez immediately showed a red card as Nashville’s ranks were reduced to 10 men.
The Union came close to taking advantage in the 88th minute after winning a free kick, but Kai Wagner’s long-range effort found the woodwork.
That eventually opened up an opportunity for Nashville deep in stoppage time, as Mukhtar confidently drilled a penalty past Union goalkeeper Andre Blake for what proved to be the match-winner. It was Mukhtar’s ninth goal of the season.
It also improved Nashville’s home record to 7-1-3 and pulled the club a point behind FC Cincinnati for the Eastern Conference lead. The Union saw their away record drop to 6-4-1.
Joe Willis ended the night with two saves for Nashville for his seventh clean sheet of the season. Blake finished the night with two saves for the Union.
Fifteen-year-old Cavan Sullivan received his first career start for the Union, making him the second-youngest player in MLS history to record a first-ever start in a league match. Only Freddy Adu, who was 14 when he started a game in 2004 for D.C. United, was younger than Sullivan in his first start.
–Field Level Media
