New York Red Bulls fell to a 0-1 defeat against Nashville at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Wednesday evening, with the visitors claiming all three points in the closing moments of the match. The result moved Nashville further clear at the top of the table while leaving the home side's hopes of a stronger finish to the campaign considerably dimmed.
The decisive moment arrived in stoppage time when M. Woledzi scored for Nashville in the 90+2 minute. The goal came after a period of sustained pressure from the Red Bulls, who had created three big chances but failed to find the net. Woledzi's strike caught the home side flat-footed as they had already begun to relax, and the stadium fell silent as the away players celebrated.
Yellow cards punctuated the match at both ends. D. Lovitz went into the book for Nashville in the 12th minute, while M. Corcoran received his caution in the 58th minute. A second yellow card was shown in the 59th minute without a player being named, and J. Bazan was booked by the referee in the 90+2 minute alongside the goal.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half as both managers looked to change the game. Forsberg was replaced by Cowell in the 61st minute, followed by Lovitz being taken off for Mohammed in the 62nd. Saad made way for Corcoran in the 70th minute, while Nealis, Baker-Whiting and Che were all brought on in the final 20 minutes.
The statistics told a story of dominance without reward for the home side. Red Bulls held 54 per cent of possession and registered 104 attacks compared to Nashville's 82, yet their shot accuracy was merely eight per cent with just one shot on target from 11 attempts within the penalty area. Nashville, by contrast, converted 27 per cent of their shots on target with three attempts on goal.
Red Bulls sit eighth with 22 points from 22 games, while Nashville lead the table with 53 points from 23 fixtures. The visitors have now extended their unbeaten run and moved further clear of their closest rivals at the summit.