Nashville Soccer Club remains unbeaten in 2023 with a 2-0 victory over CF Montréal on a rainy night at GEODIS Park. Jacob Shaffelburg opened the scoreboard in the first half while defender Taylor Washington scored his first career MLS goal off a volley in the box in the second half to secure the win. 
Best Start In Club History: Nashville SC improved to 2W-0L-1D, 7 pts. with the win, marking the best start to a season through three matches in club history.
Joe Makes History: Goalkeeper Joe Willis made MLS history on Saturday night becoming the seventh goalkeeper in league history to keep three consecutive clean sheets to start a MLS season. Willis has recorded four consecutive regular season shutouts dating back to last season.  
Heroic Hany: In his first start of the season after gaining fitness from an injury, the league’s MVP Hany Mukhtar recorded the game-winning assist on Shaffelburg’s goal. Mukhtar has been involved in over half of Nashville SC’s regular season goals in club history (72 of 134)  
Next Match: Nashville SC will take on the New England Revolution next Saturday, March 18 at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on the MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV App, and available on radio at 104.5 The Zone.  
Match Timeline           NSH 37’: Hany Mukhtar dribbles through the midfield bringing CF Montréal defenders towards him, Mukhtar dishes a pass to Shaffelburg who drills home the opening goal 
NSH: 89’: Off a cross from Shaq Moore, Taylor Washington delivers a one-timer cutting across the box and straight to the back of the net 
 Notes:   
  • Nashville SC:          
    • finishes the night tied for first place in the Eastern Conference along with Atlanta United FC and FC Cincinnati  
    • has not allowed a goal to start the 2023 season, posting three straight shutouts 
    • held CF Montréal without a shot on target tonight  
    • has never lost to CF Montréal in its club history, improving to 4W-0L-2D; has won its last three matches against CF Montréal 
    • had a higher expected goals tonight than CF Montréal (1.34-0.29) 
    • has scored in its last 14 home games 
    • has scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of the first half, more than any team in MLS this season 
    • scored the first goal of an MLS match for the 50th time in club history 
    • has not lost in its last 29 matches when scoring the first goal of a match, a streak that dates back to Aug. 2021 
    • is 22W-7D-20D all-time at home 
    • owns an all-time record of 24W-13L-26D against the Eastern Conference  
    • is unbeaten in its last 31 matches when leading at the half (22W-9D-0L) 
    • is 26W-1L-8D when scoring two goals or more in an MLS match 
  • Head Coach Gary Smith earned his 150th career victory, 40 have come with Nashville SC in MLS 
  • Teal Bunbury made his 340th career regular season appearance 
  • Dan Lovitz led the team in touches with 58 
  • Dax McCarty started his 397th career MLS match
  • Shaq Moore recorded his first assist of the season
  • Hany Mukhtar played the longest amount of minutes this season (91)
  • Alex Muyl recorded his first assist of the season in his 195th MLS appearance  
  • Jacob Shaffelburg has scored four goals in 11 starts for Nashville SC 
  • Taylor Washington scored his first MLS goal while leading the team in shots and shots on goal
  • Joe Willis earned his 52nd career shutout, 34th with Nashville

Box Score:   

Nashville SC (2W-0L-1D, 7 pts.) vs. CF Montréal (0W-3L-0D, 0 pts.) 

March 11, 2023 – GEODIS Park 

Final Score  NSH: 2MTL: 0Scoring Summary   

NSH: Jacob Shaffelburg (Hany Mukhtar) 37’ 

NSH: Taylor Washington (Shaq Moore & Alex Muyl) 89’   

Discipline  

MTL: Victor Wanyama (caution) 34’  

NSH: Taylor Washington (caution) 67’ 

Lineups:  NSH Starters: Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz, Jack Maher, Walker Zimmerman (C), Shaq Moore; Dax McCarty (Tah Brian Anunga 75’), Sean Davis, Jacob Shaffelburg (Taylor Washington 66’), Fafà Picault (Alex Muyl 66’); Hany Mukhtar (Ethan Zubak 90+1’), Teal Bunbury (CJ Sapong 75’)    

Substitutes: Ethan Zubak, Laurence Wyke, CJ Sapong, Josh Bauer, Tah Brian Anunga Elliot Panicco, Ben Martino    

MTL Starters: Jonathan Sirois; Kamal Miller (Zachary Brault-Guillard 72’), Rudy Camacho, Joel Waterman, Aaron Herrera; Victor Wanyama (C). Lassi Lappalainen (Nathan-Dylan Saliba HT), Mathieu Choiniere, Sunusi Ibrahim (Chinonso Offor 72’), Sean Rea, Romell Quioto    

Substitutes: Ketterer, Ilias Iliadis, Ahmed Hamdi, Mason Toye, Rida Zouhir, Jules-Anthony Vilsaint 

REFEREE: Rubiel Vazquez 

AR1: Corey Parker 

AR2: Walt Heatherly 

4TH OFFICIAL: Ted Unkel 

VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero 

AVAR: Joshua Patlak Logan 

Weather: Rainy, 46 degrees

Attendance: 25,958

Nashville SC joined Major League Soccer on Feb. 29, 2020 in front of the largest attendance ever recorded for a soccer match in the State of Tennessee. In its inaugural MLS season, Nashville SC defeated expectations by becoming the second MLS expansion side to win and advance to the Conference Semifinals in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Nashville SC returned to the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in its sophomore season after becoming just the seventh team in MLS history to go unbeaten at home in a season. Nashville SC inaugurated GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, in front of a 30,109-sellout crowd on May 1, 2022. For more information, visit NashvilleSC.com and follow the club at @NashvilleSC on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.