Another draw for FC Cincinnati begot more dropped points in the midst of the club's playoff chase, but there was at least some satisfaction in the come-from-behind nature of FCC's latest tie.
With FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta out due to suspension and Nashville SC missing its most potent goal-scorer in Hany Mukhtar due to injury, the clubs on Saturday played to a 1-1 draw before a TQL Stadium crowd of 23,420.
The tie was the sixth for Cincinnati in its last eight matches.
FC Cincinnati was left to rue conceding a sixth-minute goal to Nashville SC's Teal Bunbury, who opened the scoring through a close-range bicycle kick on a set play.
But FC Cincinnati responded in the 52nd minute when Brandon Vazquez scored his 11th goal of the campaign, nodding home Alvaro Barreal's bouncing volley from the top of the Nashvile penalty area off a corner kick.
Just moments later, Vazquez used brute strength to position himself for another clear chance. He fired wide on the attempt from about 12 yards out after cutting across Nashville's area, but Vazquez's work on the night was already enough to rescue a point and keep FCC (7-8-7) above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.
Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano made two saves in the game.
"A hard-fought point. It's unfortunate that that start ends up being the difference," FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said afterward. "(Nashville) was a team that you want to get out in front of. You know, you get behind early against a team that knows how to defend well and for longer stretches, and you can see the challenges that it presented for us, just having to come from behind. Right now, we just can't put it all together.
"Today, it was set piece defending and that's been an issue in the past that's cost us points or it was conceding goals or (not) scoring goals... We're looking at ways to put it all together. Right now, it's just a little bit off and it's unfortunate because it's costing us points but I do like the way the guys responded to find a goal."
A tale of two halves
Nashville was firmly in command by halftime by virtue of its 1-0 lead and the numbers it was putting behind the ball.
FC Cincinnati labored to break the visitors down, and it showed in the one on-target shot the club registered in the opening 45 minutes.
The field flipped in the second half, though. Cincinnati edged the possession and was the more threatening side, with Nashville struggling to push the hosts back.
That momentum switch was evident within minutes of the second half kicking off, and it wasn't long before Vazquez had pulled the team level.
"I think we've tied too many games," Vazquez said afterward. "We deserved to win. We had the opportunities and we couldn't put them away. I think it's a little disappointing we're happy – well, satisfied, happy – to take a point but we're hungry, I feel like. I think the locker room feels like we've taken a loss because I really think we deserved the three points."
Cincinnati carried the momentum through the final whistle and pushed for the winner into the dying embers of the match, although it was unable to find a winner.
FCC finished the match with 16 shots to Nashville's eight, eight corners to Nashville's three, and nearly 60 percent of the possession despite being out-possessed in the first half.
FC Cincinnati center back Nick Hagglund attributed the club's improvement after halftime to being more aggressive, and possibly Nashville losing some of its edge as it attempted to defend the one-goal lead.
"Once we scored that goal, they had already bunkered in so they were kind of under it a little bit," Hagglund said. "They started getting heavy legs, spaces started opening up a bit, and they were just gonna try to batten the hatches and get a point on the road."
The playoff picture
Cincinnati survived to see another week above the playoff cut line in the Eastern Conference, where the club sat in seventh place after the Nashville match.
FC Cincinnati's foothold in the standings is tenuous after it won just one match out of its last 10. However, Acosta is due to return to action next weekend at Inter Miami CF.
Also, defensive midfielder Junior Moreno returned after Saturday, playing about 30 minutes after missing the last eight matches due to an injury sustained during the June international break.
At the club's suburban Cincinnati practice facility, attacker Dominique Badji appears to be progressing in his recovery from injury. Noonan indicated during a Thursday media availability that striker Sergio Santos could be back sooner than initially anticipated after he left his debut match against Vancouver Whitecaps July 13 with what was later diagnosed as a contusion.
Twelve matches remain in the regular season for FC Cincinnati, and supporter should expect a wild ride through to the season finale at D.C. United on Oct. 9.
Even last-place D.C. is just 10 points back of FCC, and Cincinnati only avoided being knocked out of playoff position by virtue of Toronto FC's 4-0 drubbing of eighth-place Charlotte FC.
"As far as the goals that we set, we're behind in those goals," Noonan said of the club's current standing. "I think, based on other results, we've kinda been able to maintain our positioning but I think we could be in a better position than we are based on some of these home performances and the way in which we're dropping points, so that part is certainly disappointing.
"The reality is we're still in a position where now when we look at the remaining games, how do we go about achieving our goals, (and) the ultimate one of being a playoff team is achievable."
