LOS ANGELES (Oct. 15, 2022) – Nashville Soccer Club concluded its third season in Major League Soccer on Saturday afternoon after suffering a 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park in the First Round of the 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. The Boys in Gold wrap up the 2022 MLS season reaching the postseason in all three seasons of existence as an MLS club.
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Playoff Firsts For Nashville SC:* Saturday in Los Angeles marked the first time in club history Nashville SC opened the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on the road, after hosting teams in Music City in 2020 and '21. Today was the first time Nashville competed in a playoff match as a member of the Western Conference.
Season Three In The Books: Nashville SC’s third MLS season saw the Boys in Gold set a club record for wins in a season with 13, open the largest soccer specific stadium in the United States and Canada in GEODIS Park and reach the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season, becoming just the fifth team in league history to accomplish that feat.
MVP Season: Hany Mukhtar’s 2022 season was sensational for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP frontrunner. Mukhtar secured the league’s honor of the 2022 MLS Golden Boot, presented by Audi after scoring a league-high 23 goals, which was also a club record. The German led the league in goal contributions with 34. Mukhtar accounted for 44.2% of Nashville’s goals (23 of 52) in 2022, which was the highest percentage in MLS this season.
Match Timeline
LA 60’: Samuel Grandsir delivers a looping cross from the endline towards the box that finds the head of Julian Araujo who heads in the first goal of the game
* Notes*
- Nashville SC:
- had more shots than LA Galaxy (9-7), and more shots on target (5-4)
- was the fifth ever team to clinch a playoff berth in their first three consecutive seasons (Chicago Fire, Seattle Sounders FC, Atlanta United FC, LAFC)
- set a club record for wins a season with 13 and road wins a season with seven
- finished as just one of two teams in the Western Conference with a positive goal differential (LAFC +4) in the regular season
- scored more road goals this season (22) than any season prior
- tied for the most points accumulated on the road this regular season with 26 (Also LAFC and Austin FC)
- allowed just 21 goals away from GEODIS Park this season, the lowest total in the Western Conference including the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs
- suffered its first road loss since July 9
- failed to score for the first time in 19 matches
- will not reach the conference semifinal round for the first time in club history
- ‘s first assistant coach Steve Guppy s managed the team today as Head Coach Gary Smith was ill
- Teal Bunbury recorded a team-high three shots
- Sean Davis:
- was the only Nashville SC player to appear in every match this season
- led the team in passing percentage today 91.3%
- Dan Lovitz led the team with nine recoveries and 13 completed passes in the final third
- Hany Mukhtar:
- finished the season as the team leader in goals, assists, and goal contributions
- has started every playoff game in club history
- Joe Willis:
- allowed one goal or less in eight of his final nine overall matches
- has allowed one goal or less in five of the six playoff matches for Nashville in playoff history
- Walker Zimmerman:
- finished the season tying a career-high in games played with 30 in the regular season
- will join the U.S. Men's National Team as they prepare to participate in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022(TM) in November and December
Box Score
Nashville SC vs. LA Galaxy
October 15, 2022 – Dignity Health Sports Park
Final Score
LA: 1
NSH: 0
Scoring Summary
LA: Julian Araujo (Samuel Grandsir & Doglar Costa) 60’
Discipline
NSH: Walker Zimmerman (caution) 20’
NSH: Tah Brian Anunga (caution) 58’
LA: Julian Araujo (caution) 64’
LA: Gaston Brugman (time wasting) 79’
Lineups
NSH: Joe Willis; Walker Zimmerman (C), Daniel Lovitz, Dave Romney, Jack Maher (Jacob Shaffelburg 69’), Shaq Moore, Daniel Lovitz; Hany Mukhtar, Tah Brian Anunga (Dax McCarty 64’), Sean Davis (Aníbal Godoy 82’), Randall Leal (Luke Haakenson 82’), Teal Bunbury (CJ Sapong 69’)
Unused Substitutes: Aké Loba, Eric Miller, Taylor Washington, Elliot Panicco
LA: Jonathan Bond; Julian Araujo, Sega Coulibaly, Martin Caceres, Raheem Edwards; Gaston Brugman, Riqui Puig, Marky Delgado (Derrick Williams 82’), Douglas Costa (Efrain Alvarez 73’), Samuel Grandsir (Kevin Cabral 73’), Javier Hernandez (C) (Dejan Joveljic 88’)
Unused Substitutes: Victor Vazquez, Sacha Kljestan, Kelvin Leerdam, Jonathan Klinsmann, Chase Gasper
Referee: Armando Villarreal
AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt
AR2: Chris Elliott
4th Official: Ismir Pekmic
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert
Weather: Cloudy, 69 degrees
