Hany Mukhtar’s goal in the 77th minute lifted visiting Nashville SC to a 2-1 win over host FC Dallas on Saturday in Frisco, Texas.
Nashville (9-3-4, 31 points), which took a 1-0 lead early in the first half on an own goal, extended its unbeaten run to eight games by dealing FC Dallas (6-5-5, 23 points) their second straight loss.
Nashville is 6-0-2 in its past eight league games dating to a 2-1 setback at the New York City Football Club on April 15. Nashville, however, lost to host Inter Miami CF 2-1 in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16 on May 23.
Jader Obrian scored for Dallas, which has dropped two straight after a 2-1 setback to host Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday ended its five-game undefeated streak (2-0-3) in MLS play.
Mukhtar scored the game-winning goal when he corralled a long pass from defender Daniel Lovitz with his chest before splitting two defenders and finishing a breakaway with a low shot past goalie Maarten Paes.
It was Mukhtar’s 10th goal of the season, tying the league’s reigning MVP with LAFC’s Denis Bouanga.
Nashville took a 1-0 lead on an own goal in the ninth minute.
After receiving a pass from Alex Muyl along the outside of the penalty box, Shaq Moore delivered a cross into the box. Defender Nolan Norris tried to head it away, but instead deflected it into the lower corner of the goal past a diving Paes.
Dallas equalized in the 25th minute.
Jesus Ferreira delivered a pass to Facundo Quignon near the top of the penalty box, where Quignon flicked it to a cutting Marco Farfan. Farfan slid a pass into the goalmouth to a wide-open Obrian, who easily one-timed it past goalie Joe Willis from just a few feet away.
Dallas outshot Nashville 14-7, but the hosts put just three of its shots on net, while Nashville also put three of its shots on target.
–Field Level Media
