A late Saint Louis FC goal foiled Nashville SC’s chance to climb to the top of the table. Nashville fell 1-0 in Fenton, Mo. on Saturday night. It is Nashville’s second 1-0 loss to Saint Louis FC in the 2019 USL Championship season.
After the teams went into the locker room at halftime scoreless, Nashville SC asserted its dominance in the second half, controlling possession and the chances. Despite the run of play, Saint Louis found the net first, as STLFC midfielder Russell Cicerone made a move near the top of the box to lose two Nashville defenders and fired past keeper Matt Pickens for the lone goal of the match.
Here are three takeaways from the unlucky loss.
1) Chance Missed to Go First
For the second time in three weeks, Nashville SC could have gone to the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a victory. And for the second time, Nashville couldn’t find the win it needed. Adding insult to injury, was the other results that transpired around the Eastern Conference. Teams ranked 5th through 8th in the conference either lost or drew on Saturday night, meaning Nashville missed a chance to widen the gap between itself and other playoff teams.
2) Not a Favorable Scoreline
After a 2018 season in which Nashville won four of six matches that finished with a 1-0 scoreline, the one-goal match has not been friendly to the Boys in Gold in 2019. Nashville SC is 0-4 in matches that have finished 1-0 this season, with two of the four losses coming to Saint Louis FC.
3) Home Dominant Schedule
Hope is not lost as Nashville SC will look to its loaded home schedule the rest of the season to continue its push to the top of the Eastern Conference. Five of the final six matches for Nashville will be in the Music City starting on September 17. Four of those home matches are against current Eastern Conference playoff teams.
Up Next
Nashville SC returns to First Tennessee Park following a bye weekend for a rare Tuesday night tilt on September 17. Nashville will welcome USL Championship newcomer Birmingham Legion FC for the first time to Nashville. Tickets to the match are available at NashvilleSC.com.
