Randall Leal double strike guides Nashville SC past D.C. United
Randall Leal had his strongest — and spiciest — attacking performance at Geodis Park.
Leal scored twice in Nashville SC's (11-5-5, 38 points) 2-0 win over D.C. United (7-9-5, 26 points) on Saturday, extending the club's home unbeaten streak to eight games and ending a two-game losing streak. Nashville, when scoring two goals, is 11-0-0 this season and 35-1-8 all-time.
The 26-year-old Leal has had it hard in his fourth year in Nashville. After an electric season opener performance on Feb. 25 against New York City FC, he missed nearly three months due to a hamstring injury, completing a rehab assignment with MLS Next Pro side Huntsville City FC. He scored his first goal of the season June 10, but said Saturday he feeling close to 100%.
"I'm very proud of me that I didn't lose my head in the circumstances that I had," Leal said. "But today was a good night for me, a good night for the team, and it's important that we won and that we are good here at home, and now we have a good challenge next game against Chicago (Fire FC)."
The Randall Leal game
Leal cemented his name in Nashville history last year, when he scored Nashville's first goal at Geodis Park in its grand opening May 1 against the Philadelphia Union. He hadn't scored at "The Castle" until Saturday. But the first of his two goals might go down as one of the best he's scored in a Nashville jersey.
In the 18th minute, Leal received a Hany Mukhtar lob over the top of the D.C. United defense, flicked the ball around enclosing goalkeeper Tyler Miller and tapped the ball into the open net.
To seal arguably his best home performance in a Nashville jersey, Leal slipped past the defense again in the 37th minute, winning a ball that bounced into his stride. The Costa Rican attacker beat D.C. defenders Derrick Williams and Donovan Pines into the penalty box, sending a rocket into the top right corner for his third goal of the season.
"Sometimes, when you score goals maybe you think that is the best performance, but I think sometimes maybe you don't score but you played a very good game — defense and everything," Leal said. "Today, I scored two goals, but I'm very conscious that I need to keep working hard and be better, always."
Walker Zimmerman vs. Christian Benteke
The battle of two of MLS' finest was on display: Nashville center back Walker Zimmerman vs. D.C. center forward Christian Benteke.
Benteke, a former Belgium national team and English Premier League striker, didn't record a shot on goal until the 82nd minute, 18 minutes after Zimmerman was sent off for a controversial second yellow card — Nashville's first red card of 2023. (Neither foul was against Benteke.) Nevertheless, the U.S. men's national center back held Benteke to two arid headers.
Both Benteke and Zimmerman were voted 2023 MLS All-Stars.
Winning the must-wins
After claiming its sixth straight home win, Nashville continued its quest for the MLS Supporters' Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.
After Nashville lost two games last week, the New England Revolution leaped Nashville in the Eastern Conference, with a game in hand. This week, with a Revolution tie at FC Cincinnati, Nashville reclaimed second place, trailing Cincinnati by six points.
For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake. Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC defeats D.C. United, 2-0, with two Randall Leal goals
