NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville SC locked up first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time in club history, securing home-field advantage through the conference rounds of the playoffs at GEODIS Park.
The milestone came after Nashville played San Jose to a 1-1 draw late Saturday night. Because the result was a draw and not a win, the club missed out on clinching its first-ever Supporters' Shield — but that is not much of a setback.
MVP candidate Hany Mukhtar put Nashville on top with a goal in the 34th minute, his sixth goal in five games. San Jose tied the game in the 70th minute.
A win would have clinched the club's first-ever Supporters' Shield, the trophy that goes to the top team in the league's point system. The team needed just one win to claim the best record in all of Major League Soccer, but came up one goal short, tying in San Jose.
Nashville still controls its own destiny, and the Shield remains within reach. The home advantage in the playoffs is exactly where head coach B.J. Callaghan wants to be.
"Our club as a whole has been built to uniquely represent our fanbase and our city. So the support that they can show us. If that's five on the road, we'll take five. If its more than five, we'll know they'll pack the house with 30 thousand in Geodis where we're really tough to play," Callaghan said.
After Saturday's game, Nashville sits on top of the league by 12 points with four matches to play. The Shield is still within reach. Nashville can win it if they win any of their remaining games. The team is on the road the following Saturday in Montreal.
Want to know what home-field advantage at GEODIS Park could mean for Nashville SC's push toward the Supporters' Shield and a deep playoff run? Watch my full report for the inside look at Coach Callaghan's playoff strategy — and reach out to me at Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com to share which remaining match you think will clinch it for the Boys in Gold.
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