Luca Orellano scored a stunning free kick goal in the 52nd minute and FC Cincinnati twice came back from a one-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw against Nashville SC on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee.
Luciano Acosta added a goal for Cincinnati (17 wins, 8 losses, 5 ties, 56 points), which remains in second place in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining but is tied on points with Columbus Crew, who beat Orlando City SC 4-3. Columbus also has one game in hand.
Nashville (8-13-9, 33 points) saw its two-game winning streak come to an end and finished the night one point out of ninth and final playoff spot in the East with four games remaining, but four teams ahead of Nashville in the standings.
Trailing 2-1 at halftime, Cincinnati appeared to have made it 2-2 in the 39th minute when Nicholas Gioacchini’s first goal for the club was ruled out for offside, but Orellano tied the game in the 52nd minute with a free kick from outside the box that slipped past a diving Joe Willis for his ninth goal of the season.
Nashville took the lead in the fourth minute when Jonathan Perez’s cross from the right side of the box bounced off Taylor Washington and found Sam Surridge, who deftly slotted the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
Acosta equalized at 1-1 in the ninth minute with a shot from outside the penalty area assisted by Orellano, before Surridge made it 2-1 in the 25th minute, heading Hany Mouktar’s corner kick over Roman Celentano for his second goal of the day and third in two games.
The lead lasted until the 52nd minute, when a goal from Orellano put an end to the scoring for the night.
Sergio Santos added an assist for Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media
