NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 10, 2023) – Nashville Soccer Club secured a spot in the Round of 16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas on Wednesday night at GEODIS Park. Winger Fafà Picault scored the game-winning goal in the 63rd minute, while Alex Muyl scored the insurance goal in the 76th minute.
400 Matches Managed By The Gaffer: Head Coach Gary Smith managed his 400th career match in tonight’s win. Smith, whose 400 matches span five different squads and four different professional leagues, has earned results in 281 of those matches.
Magic Of The Cup Inside The Castle: With the victory, Nashville SC remains unbeaten all-time in U.S. Open Cup competition at GEODIS Park. The Boys in Gold defeated San Antonio FC 1-0 in the Third Round on April 26.
No, No, No, Says Panicco: Nashville SC goalkeeper Elliot Panicco posted his second consecutive Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup shutout, with both of them taking place at GEODIS Park this season.
On To The Round of 16: Nashville SC has advanced to the Round of 16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the second consecutive season. The Boys in Gold will await their fate after a draw at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow that can be followed on the B/R App and the Bleacher Report Football YouTube channel.
Next Match Heading To The District: Nashville SC returns to MLS competition when it visits D.C. United on Saturday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match can be viewed via AppleTV’s MLS Pass here.
Match Timeline:
NSH 63’: Fafá Picault drove in to send a shot across the box to the back corner of the net after receiving the ball from Taylor Washington at midfield
NSH 76’: Alex Muyl takes a pass from Tah Brian Anunga, cuts to pass by a Dallas defender and strikes with his left foot inside the box
Notes:
· Nashville SC:
- is 4W-1L-0D all-time in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition
- hasn't allowed a goal in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition this year
- is unbeaten in its last five matches in all competitions with a goal differential of +8 (10 goals for, two against)
- has scored two or more goals in three consecutive matches in all competitions
- has not lost since April 15, 2023 (five matches) and has not lost at GEODIS Park since Mar. 25, 2023 (six home matches) in all competitions
· Tah Brian Anunga recorded his first assist for the Boys in Gold
· Josh Bauer led the defense with six clearances and a passing accuracy of 89.1%
· Joey DeZart made his second appearance for Nashville SC as a substitute after appearing in multiple matches for Nashville SC’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Huntsville City FC
· Alex Muyl recorded his first goal of the season
· Elliot Panicco recorded his second shutout for Nashville SC this season
· Fafá Picault led the team with two shots and five touches in the opposition’s box
· Taylor Washington recorded his first assist of the season
· Laurence Wyke led the team with four tackles won
· Ethan Zubak led the team in passing accuracy in the final third at 77.8%
Box Score:
Nashville SC vs. FC Dallas
May 10, 2023 – GEODIS Park
Final Score
NSH: 2
DAL: 0
Scoring Summary
NSH: Fafá Picault (A: Taylor Washington) 63’
NSH: Alex Muyl (A: Tah Brian Anunga) 76’
Discipline
DAL: Geovane Jesus (caution) 72’
DAL: Alan Velasco (caution) 88’
Lineups:
NSH Starters: Elliot Panicco; Josh Bauer, Lukas MacNaughton (Jack Maher, 45’), Taylor Washington, Laurence Wyke; Tah Brian Anunga (Joey DeZart, 84’), Sean Davis (C) (Alex Muyl, 45’), Ján Greguš, Randall Leal (Luke Haakenson, 45’); Fafà Picault (Jacob Shaffelburg, 68’), Ethan Zubak
Substitutes: Hany Mukhtar, Joe Willis
DAL Starters: Jimmy Maurer; Marco Farfan, Sebastien Ibeagha, Geovane Jesus, Ema Twumasi; Sam Junqua, Paxton Pomykal, Edwin Cerrillo, Sebastian Lletget; Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Alan Velasco, 62’), Jesus Ferreira (C)
Substitutes: Facundo Quignon, Jáder Obrian, Alan Velasco, Amet Korca, Maarten Paes, Nolan Norris, Bernard Kamungo
Referee: Lukasz Szpala
Attendance: 5,196
Weather: Clear, 77 Degrees
