Nashville SC scored twice in the second half to claim the Supporters’ Shield as the top team in MLS with a 2-0 win against host CF Montreal on Saturday.
The win allowed Nashville (21-3-7, 70 points) to stretch its points streak to seven games (5-0-2).
Montreal (6-18-7, 25 points) has just one win in its past 11 games (1-8-2) and was officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Sam Surridge buried his own rebound to give Nashville a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute. Montreal goalkeeper Samsy Keita, the 17-year-old homegrown making his MLS debut, denied Surridge’s header from the right side of the goal area off a cross from Reed
Baker-Whiting. The rebound went right to Surridge, who easily put it into the far side for his team-leading 18th tally of the season.
Hany Mukhtar made it 2-0 in the 76th minute. He intercepted defender Brayan Vera’s clearing attempt outside the box, was first to it as it rolled inside the box and then put a shot that deflected off Keita and into the net from the top right corner of the goal area.
Mukhtar nearly tied Surridge atop the Nashville scoring race with an attempt inside the box in the 80th minute, but Keita got his hands up to deflect it away.
Keita was tested early in the first half, coming off his line to the spot to deny Surridge an opportunity late in the second minute.
That was all either side would generate offensively in a slow start as the lone shot attempt between the two through the first 18 minutes.
Montreal started to find its game as the half progressed but couldn’t convert.
Vera’s header off a corner from the left side in the 21st minute just missed off the far post. Ten minutes later, Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake easily snared a free kick off the foot of Alexis Sanchez and 90 seconds later got in front of an opportunity from Hennadii Synchuk.
In the 33rd minute, Dante Sealy came down the left side on a rush but sent the ball over the net.
–Field Level Media
