Hany Mukhtar Punches Nashville’s Ticket To US Open Cup Quarterfinals With Late Goal

/in /by

Hany Mukhtar. Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC

Nashville SC is headed to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals after defeating Louisville City FC 2-1 with a brilliant 89th minute goal from none other than Hany Mukhtar.

“I’m very pleased to be in the next round,” said head coach Gary Smith in a postgame press conference. “There were stages in that game I felt Louisville were staring to get a little more of a grip. Not loads and loads of chances either way, but I think we saw almost exactly what we expected. A top USL side, probably the best USL side, at home with a lot of passion against with what we could classify as a local rival.”

The club started goalkeeper Elliot Pannico who was recalled from Indy Eleven just a few days prior to the Cup match. He was the first goalkeeper to play consecutive minutes for Nashville other than Joe Willis since joining the MLS. He made four saves for Nashville in his debut.

Louisville struck first with a fantastic header across the goal to sneak past Pannico in the 37th minute. But it wasn’t long before Ake Loba would hit the top of the crossbar for a Nashville goal to tie it 1-1 in the 39th minute.

In the second half, both sides fought desperately to create scoring chances. Nashville was coming off a long night at GEODIS Park on Saturday, playing a full 90 in between an almost three hour weather delay. But it didn’t break down the Boys in Gold as they held on to win in the end.

Nashville SC fans at Lynn Family Stadium. Photos: Courtesy of Nashville SC

Both Mukhtar and CJ Sapong came in as substitutes in the 77th minute and really changed the momentum of the game.

“When CJ and Hany came into the game, there was a different feel to it,” Smith added. “It gives everyone a bit of a lift, so of course some energy is injected into the game. I [was] looking at the clock and [knew we had] a game on the weekend and played 120 minutes against Atlanta. The goal scored in the final minute was a real relief.”

Nashville’s next step to win the U.S. Open Cup is to face Orlando City SC in Orlando on June 29 in the quarterfinals. Until then, Nashville has four MLS games, two of which are at home.

This weekend the Boys in Gold are headed to Denver to play the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, May 28. Colorado sits in ninth place in the Western Conference standings with 18 points, one point behind Nashville.

Steven Boero
Latest posts by Steven Boero (see all)