CHICAGO (July 8, 2023)– Nashville Soccer Club (11W-6L-5D, 38 pts.) fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat in a tightly contested matchup against Chicago Fire FC (6W-7L-8D, 27 pts.) at Soldier Field. Against the run of play, Fabian Herbers scored the lone goal in the 34th minute, and despite dominating possession throughout the match, Nashville SC was unable to find the equalizer.
Missing Players: Nashville SC started the contest without its two designated players as Walker Zimmerman served a suspension following a red card he received against D.C. United last Saturday, and reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar was rested in the first half as the team prepares to host three matches in seven days – against Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, July 12, and at FC Cincinnati on Saturday, July 15.
Fafà’s Return: Fafà Picault earned his first start after returning from representing Haiti in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. The attacking midfielder played 71 minutes before being subbed out for Ján Greguš.
Short Turn Around: The Boys in Gold will have a short turnaround as they return to GEODIS Park on Wednesday, July 12 to host the Philadelphia Union. Nashville SC is currently riding a hot streak at home with six consecutive wins and is unbeaten in eight matches dating back to March 25th. Nashville SC has outscored its opponents 21-6 at GEODIS Park.
Match Timeline:
CHI 34’: Maren Haile-Selassie crosses the ball through the box for Fabian Herbers who finds it in traffic and sends it to the back of the net
Notes:
· Nashville SC:
o recorded its first loss against Chicago Fire FC in series history, moving its record to 2W-1L-2D
o is 9W-6L-4D against Eastern Conference opponents this season, 31W-18L-29D all-time
· Teal Bunbury
o made his 357th career regular season appearance
o led the team with 0.62 xG and 5 shots
· Dan Lovitz appeared in his 101st match for Nashville SC, leading the team with three successful dribbles
· Lukas MacNaughton led the team with 77 accurate passes and three clearances
· Dax McCarty led the team with three chances created
· Shaq Moore led the team with five tackles won
· Hany Mukhtar appeared in his 101st match for Nashville SC
Box Score:
Nashville SC (11W-6L-5D, 38 pts.) vs. Chicago Fire FC (6W-7L-8D, 26 pts.)
July 8, 2023 – Soldier Field
Final Score:
NSH: 0
CHI: 1
Scoring Summary:
CHI: Fabian Herbers (A: Haile-Selassie) 34’
Discipline:
NSH: Randall Leal (Caution) 37’
CHI: Kei Kamara (Caution) 81’
NSH: Dan Lovitz (Caution) 87’
Lineups:
NSH Starters: Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz (Taylor Washington 87’), Lukas MacNaughton, Jack Maher, Shaq Moore; Dax McCarty (C), Randall Leal (Ethan Zubak 87’), Teal Bunbury, Alex Muyl (Ján Greguš 71’), Sean Davis (Hany Mukhtar 45’); Fafà Picault (Luke Haakenson 71’)
Substitutes: Laurence Wyke, Josh Bauer, Tah Brian Anunga, Elliot Panicco
CHI Starters: Chris Brady; Rafael Czichos (C), Miguel Navarro, Mauricio Pineda, Jonathan Dean (Kendall Burks 77’); Maren Haile-Selassie (Jairo Torres 77’), Xherdan Shaqiri (Daniel Aceves 90’+1), Brian Gutierrez, Fabian Herbers, Gaston Gimenez (Carlos Teran 63’); Georgios Koutsias (Kei Kamara 63’)
Substitutes: Kacper Przybylko, Jeffrey Gal, Missael Rodriguez, Justin Reynolds
Match Officials:
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
AR1: Jason White
AR2: Adam Wienckowski
4TH Official: Alexandra Billeter
VAR: Kevin Stott
AVAR: Emma Richards
Weather: Clear, 67 degrees
