Inter Miami CF fell 1-0 to fellow expansion side Nashville SC at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The closely contested affair kicked off at 8:30 p.m. ET and marked the team’s first away match in nearly six months.
The team lined up with the same starting XI as in its last match against Orlando City SC on Aug. 22, a match that resulted in the team’s first victory in MLS.
Nashville appeared to strike first 17 minutes in when a deflected cross found Alex Muyl at the back post who headed home. The goal was quickly overturned after a video review found Muyl to have pushed Andrés Reyes to create space, keeping the match scoreless.
Inter Miami nearly struck back from a corner kick in the 27th minute. Lewis Morgan lined up to take the corner and delivered a ball into the head of Reyes, who struck a powerful header that drew a save from Nashville.
The visitors threatened again just five minutes later when Rodolfo Pizarro whipped a cross into Matías Pellegrini, who struck a shot into the ground and at the keeper. Pizarro again played provider two minutes later, hitting another cross into the box, this time directed at Morgan. The Scottish winger then struck a powerful left-footed volley that went just over the bar.
Inter Miami came close once again in the 38th minute; Morgan collected a pass down the right wing before delivering a cut back pass that deflected off a defender and back to Pellegrini, who snapped a right-footed shot that was deflected just wide of goal. Pellegrini’s shot appeared to strike the elbow of Nashville defender Walker Zimmerman before deflecting out of play.
Nashville struck first in the second half, taking a 1-0 lead from a goal by Aníbal Godoy. The Panamanian midfielder recovered possession after a ball deflected out to him at the top of the box. He quickly struck a powerful shot into the top right corner of the net for the opening goal in the 53rd minute.
The hosts had a chance to double the lead in the 72nd minute when Hany Mukhtar was judged to have been fouled in the box. Mukhtar then stepped up to take the penalty, but struck it off the bar, keeping the score at 1-0.
Two minutes later Inter Miami made five substitutions at once, bringing on Juan Agudelo, Robbie Robinson, Dylan Nealis, Lee Nguyen and Brek Shea for Wil Trapp, Nicolás Figal, Julián Carranza, Pellegrini and Ben Sweat. The changes gave the visitors a boost as they went on to control possession and threaten goal on a number of occasions.
Nguyen was a catalyst, first drawing a save on a free kick from just outside of the box in the 79th minute. One minute later he stepped up and delivered a corner kick into the head of Agudelo, whose header was deflected. One final chance came from a Nguyen corner in the 92nd minute as he again delivered a precise delivery. The cross found Leandro González Pirez whose header was directed at the keeper and saved.
Though Inter Miami was unable to secure an equalizing goal, the team threatened in attack for much of the affair, totalling 18 shots to five from Nashville. The visitors also controlled possession for much of the match, finishing with 53% possession.
Inter Miami will return to action Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. ET when it faces Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
