Jon Gallagher and Osman Bukari scored and Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver was stellar on the back line as the visiting Verde defeated Nashville SC 2-0 on Saturday in an interconference match.
Austin (9-10-7, 34 points) moved into ninth place in the West and has won three of its past four matches in all competitions. Nashville (6-12-8, 26 points), playing its first MLS match under new coach B.J. Callaghan, has now dropped seven consecutive MLS matches and fell to 14th place in the East.
Nashville had the game’s first scoring chance as Jacob Shaffelburg earned a penalty kick in the third minute after being fouled in the area by Austin’s Brendan Hines-Ike.
After the penalty was confirmed by VAR, Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar was denied from the spot by Stuver in the seventh minute as the goalkeeper dove to his right and pushed Mukhtar’s shot off the post and out of harm’s way.
Nashville produced shots on goal in the ninth minute from Mukhtar and the 13th from Shaffelburg that were stopped by Stuver. The Verde countered with a chance by Alexander Ring in the 16th minute that was saved by Nashville keeper Joe Willis.
Austin broke through in the 43rd minute as Gallagher collected a perfect long pass from Ring before switching to his left foot to beat Willis low to the left side for the game’s first goal.
Stuver kept the Verde on top when he dove to his left to stop a withering shot by Brian Anunga in the 55th minute. Overall, Stuver recorded seven saves to earn the clean sheet.
The teams traded low-percentage shots on goal later in the second half, with Austin’s Bukari, Sebastian Driussi and Gallagher testing Willis in the 61st, 70th and 75th minute, respectively. Nashville countered with shots on target by Alex Muyl in the 65th minute and Sam Surridge in the 73rd.
Bukari capped the Verde’s victory with a scintillating goal in the 84th minute. The Ghana national scored his first MLS goal after he stripped the ball from Nashville midfielder Amar Sejdic near midfield and slipped past Willis before gently pushing a shot into the net from 15 yards outside the box.
–Field Level Media
