Hany Mukhtar’s 89th-minute goal stood as the difference Wednesday night in Nashville SC’s 2-1 win over Louisville City FC at Lynn Family Stadium, advancing the visiting Major League Soccer side to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.
It was the first time an MLS team has beaten LouCity in Louisville. City’s run in this year’s U.S. Open Cup, the longest-running knockout tournament in American soccer, marked its second-deepest run in the club’s eight-year playing history.
“Obviously it was a difficult way to end the match,” said LouCity head coach Danny Cruz. “I told the players that a couple mistakes cost us. You give that level of opponent a half-chance, and they take it. They had four shots on the night. We had more possession. But ultimately what matters is the result. I’m proud of the mentality on the night, but mistakes cost us.”
LouCity left Wednesday’s game frustrated by the result after a strong performance that yielded 13 shots, 53.6% of possession and a number of good scoring opportunities. Nashville only attempted four shots but scored on two of them.
“There are a lot of emotions going through our heads right now,” said LouCity forward Brian Ownby, whose first-half goal gave the boys in purple the lead. “It’s more frustrated. We are disappointed. That game was for the taking for us. We gave up cheap goals, and they cost us. We need to be better in the final third. We came to fight. The group came out firing, zero to 90. It’s more about understanding moments of games. One little moment can change a game, and we have to understand that.”
Ownby scored the game’s opening goal in the 37th minute, slotting his lovely, flicked-on header into the far post side netting from 15 yards out. Amadou Dia provided the service with a whipped-in cross from 35 yards out, his second assist across all competitions.
But the excitement was short-lived, with Nashville equalizing one minute and 25 seconds later through Ake Lobal’s right-footed finish from close range on Luke Haakenson’s low cross.
LouCity reasserted itself in the second half, with forwards Wilson Harris and Jorge Gonzalez coming close to taking back the lead.
Nashville brought on Mukhtar, its top scorer, in the 77th minute, and 12 minutes later, he clattered in a right-footed shot off the crossbar from 10 yards out to help the visitors win.
For City, the end of its U.S. Open Cup run now puts the team’s sole focus on the USL Championship season. The boys in purple sit in second in the Eastern Conference standings, with seven wins and three draws from 12 matches.
They have a tight turnaround, with FC Tulsa visiting Lynn Family Stadium at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Nashville SC
Date: May 25, 2022
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: 79 degrees, partly cloudy
Player of the Match: Brian Ownby
Attendance: 8,638
Scoring
Louisville City FC (1, 0, 1)
Nashville SC (1, 1, 2)
Goals
Louisville City FC:
37’ Brian Ownby (Amadou Dia)
Nashville SC:
39’ Ake Loba (Luke Haakenson)
89’ Hany Mukhtar (Handwalla Bwana)
Lineups
Louisville City FC (4-3-3): 1 – Kyle Morton; 15 – Manny Perez, 66 – Josh Wynder (51’ 6 – Wes Charpie), 4 –Sean Totsch, 3 – Amadou Dia (81’ 19 – Oscar Jimenez); 12 – Tyler Gibson, 13 – Corben Bone (71’ 11 – Niall McCabe), 9 – Jorge Gonzalez; 14 – Wilson Harris (71’ 17 – Cameron Lancaster), 77 – Enoch Mushagalusa, 10 – Brian Ownby (81’ 36 – Paolo DelPiccolo)
Subs not used: 32 – Ian Soler, 24 – Parker Siegfried, 7 – Napo Matsoso
Head Coach: Danny Cruz
Nashville SC (3-5-2): 20 – Anibal Godoy (79’ 27 – Brian Anunga), 26 – Luke Haakenson (69’ 7 – Handwalla Bwana), 9 – Ake Loba (79’ 10 – Hany Mukhtar), 2 – Daniel Lovitz, 5 – Jack Maher (69’ 25 – Walker Zimmerman), 6 – Dax McCarty, 19 – Alex Muyl, 30 – Elliot Panicco, 4 – Dave Romney, 23 – Taylor Washington, 11 – Ethan Zubak (79’ 17 – CJ Sapong)
Subs not used: 22 – Joshua Bauer, 1 – Joe Willis
Head Coach: Gary Smith
Stats Summary: Louisville City FC / Nashville SC
Shots: 13 / 4
Shots on Goal: 5 / 4
Possession: 53.6% / 46.4%
Fouls: 17 / 13
Offside: 1 / 4
Corner Kicks: 4 / 1
Discipline Summary
Louisville City FC:
86’ Niall McCabe (Yellow)
90+6’ Jorge Gonzalez (Yellow)
Nashville SC:
48’ Luke Haakenson (Yellow)
Referee: Eric Tattersall
