Sam Surridge scored twice, including the game-winning tally in the 89th minute as visiting Nashville SC held on for a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday in an Eastern Conference match on the banks of Lake Ontario.
Nashville (8-4-3, 27 points) won for just the second time on the road in league play this season and extended its unbeaten streak in MLS to six straight matches (4-0-2).
Scoring chances were at a premium in the first half, with only four combined shots and just one – by Nashville – on goal. That opportunity came in the ninth minute when Alex Muyl’s left-footed shot from the center of the box was saved by Toronto keeper Sean Johnson.
The Reds (3-8-4, 13 points) had a chance to make some noise in the 38th minute, but Lorenzo Insigne’s shot never got close to the goal after being blocked by Nashville defender Patrick Yazbek.
Both teams showed much more offense after the break, with each producing scoring chances early in the second half.
Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar tested Johnson with a low-percentage shot in the 51st minute that the Reds’ keeper easily corralled. Toronto responded two minutes later when Ola Brynhildsen went head over heels with a bicycle kick from just inside the penalty area that Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis was able to bat away at the last instant to keep it scoreless.
That set the stage for Surridge, who was the beneficiary of a pair of wonderful passes before scoring in the 57th minute. Andy Najar began the play with a long pass into the area that Mukhtar one-touched past Johnson and directly to the foot of Surridge, who needed only to direct the ball into the net with an easy kick.
Nashville threatened to add to the lead as Mukhtar forced saves from Johnson in the 60th and 65th minute, respectively.
Toronto pressed desperately for the equalizer over the final 15-plus minutes, with Tyrese Spicer getting a shot on target in the 77th minute and then Federico Bernardeschi testing the Coyotes’ keeper eight minutes later.
Surridge seemingly salted away the match with his second goal – off an assist by Jonathan Perez – in the 89th minute.
But the Reds were not finished, getting that goal back and raising hope when Jonathan Osorio turned around a pass by Charlie Sharp and scored one minute into added time.
–Field Level Media
