Luca Orellano scored a stunning free-kick in the 52nd minute, and FC Cincinnati came back from a one-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Nashville SC on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.
Luciano Acosta added a goal for Cincinnati (17-8-5, 56 points), which remains in second place in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining but is tied on points with the Columbus Crew, which won 4-3 against Orlando City SC. . Columbus also has a game in hand.
Nashville (8-13-9, 33 points) saw its two-game winning streak end. It finished the evening one point behind the ninth and final Mpumalanga playoff spot with four games remaining, but has four teams above it in the table.
Trailing 2-1 at halftime, Cincinnati appeared to make it 2-2 in the 39th minute before an offside call led to what would have been Nicholas Gioacchini’s first team goal. But Orellano finally tied things up in the 52nd minute with his ninth goal of the season, a well-struck free kick from the top of the box past a diving Joe Willis.
Nashville opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Jonathan Perez’s cross from the right side of the box deflected off Taylor Washington in front of the post and found its way to Sam Surridge, who slotted it into the net for 1-0.
After Acosta tied it 1-1 in the ninth minute with a goal from outside the box assisted by Orellano, Surridge scored his second goal of the night in the 25th minute — and his third in two games — past Hany. Mukhtar’s corner beat Roman Celentano to make it 2-1.
The scoring continued until the 52nd minute, when Orellano’s goal ended the night.
Sergio Santos added the assist for Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media