Nashville SC beats Chattanooga Red Wolves 1-0 to advance to the U.S. Open Cup round of 16

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4 days ago

Nashville SC started strong in its quest for its first trophy.
Josh Bauer scored the lone goal in Nashville's 1-0 win over the Chattanooga Red Wolves in the U.S. Open Cup round of 32 at Geodis Park on May 6. The victory put NSC in the round of 16, where it will travel to face either Orlando City SC or the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 20 or 21.
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Chattanooga, which plays in the third-tier USL League One, hung tough even though Nashville dominated the ball and had the better of opportunities throughout. An 80th-minute red card on forward Alhassan Alhassan reduced the Red Wolves to 10 men and dealt a severe blow to their upset hopes.
"You got to give credit to Chattanooga," Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said. "The way they were set up, the way they came into the game was really good, made it very difficult for us to play and get some rhythm. But I thought what we saw tonight is the depth of our team, and the versatility of our team was a nice positive."
Nashville returns to action May 10 at home against Charlotte FC. Charlotte beat Nashville 2-1 in the team's previous meeting this season.
Opportunity for reserves, young players
With Chattanooga the second of nine games Nashville will play this month, Callaghan went with an entirely changed lineup from the team's most recent game, a 1-1 draw at Atlanta United. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake and midfielder Bryan Acosta made their NSC debuts, and center back Chris Applewhite became the first player from NSC's academy to start a game. Rookies Matthew Corcoran and Wyatt Meyer also drew starts.
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Forward Jonathan Perez was a menace throughout the game, using his speed and creativity off the dribble to beat Chattanooga defenders on the wing. In the 18th minute, Perez cut into the penalty box and slipped while trying to shoot, but managed to redirect it towards Bauer, who volleyed it home for his third goal of the season.
"He's been working really hard the last couple weeks," Nashville assistant coach Michael Nsien said. "He's showing really well in training, scoring goals, really demanding the ball, starting to show a lot of character, a lot of his personality on the field. He looked very comfortable today expressing himself. That's the Johnny that we want to see.
"Josh, maybe he's underrated at times because he's kind of the center back-fullback profile. But he's very comfortable with his feet. When he gets in those little side pockets of space and gets a shot off, it can be a goal at any moment."
Nashville can't add to lead
Even with over 70% possession, Nashville was quiet after Bauer's goal, especially during the second half. The Red Wolves set up with five defenders and two defensive midfielders, which Nsien said limited space and forced Nashville's attack to the outside of the field.
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"We were able to get ourselves into good final pass opportunities, spaces in the penalty box, but I don't think we executed that well," Callaghan said. "Looking back, we probably needed to get our runs a little more spaced out and try to open up a couple areas in front of goal a little better."
MORE: Nashville SC creates new position for GM Mike Jacobs, extends contract through 2028
Taylor Washington injured
The scariest moment of the game for Nashville came midway through the first half. Left back Taylor Washington had to leave the game with an injury when a Chattanooga player landed on his leg during a tackle attempt.
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Callaghan didn't have an immediate update on Washington, who is Nashville's longest-tenured player and was making his season debut.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at [e-mail] and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: US Open Cup: Nashville SC beats Chattanooga Red Wolves 1-0