Nashville SC held scoreless in feisty loss to Philadelphia Union

The Marvel Super Hero Night at Geodis Park was a timely theme on Wednesday.

Two red cards were issued for fighting and a magnetic force akin to Thor's Hammer pulled in every direction except toward Nashville SC's scoring target against the Philadelphia Union.

Nashville was shut out at home, 2-0, for the first time since April 8, snapping its eight-home game winning streak. Philadelphia attacking midfielder Daniel Gazdag scored two penalty kicks in the 40th and 84th minutes. Wednesday was the first time Nashville had conceded two goals or more at home in 2023. It hadn't happened since Oct. 2 last season.

Philadelphia (11-7-4, 37 points) shrunk the points gap between it and third-place Nashville (11-7-5, 38 points) in the Eastern Conference to one point. Though Wednesday's contest featured controversial officiating, the true theme is that Nashville is now 1-4-0 in its last five, scoring in just one of those games in a pivotal period before Leagues Cup.

A rivalry renewed

There were 25 fouls called (and there could've been more), plus five yellow cards, three red cards and multiple altercations Wednesday.

Nashville lost starting fullbacks Dan Lovitz and Shaq Moore to red cards — the former being issued two yellow cards that led to Gazdag's two converted penalties and the latter given for a late-game tussle with Union forward Julian Carranza. Lovitz and Moore will be suspended for Saturday's road game against FC Cincinnati, the best team in MLS.

Moore and Carranza's head-to-head started before they were sent off in the 95th minute. After Lovitz took out forward Mikael Uhre in the penalty in the 81st minute, Moore and Carranza were animatedly debating the call, each gesturing vehement dismissal to each other.

So when the two got tangled as the ball entered their vicinity near midfield, each attempted to throw the other to the ground in frustration. Nashville's Joe Willis and Philadelphia players sprinted to the scene and separated the two.

Nashville awarded penalty, reversed

Nashville was awarded a penalty as well in the 73rd minute.

The ball struck Union center back Jack Elliot's right hand in the penalty box, but the video assistant referee (VAR) overruled the call, stating Elliot's arm to be in a natural position, leaving Smith to question what an actual handball was.

Smith: Referee Sergii Boiko 'out of his depths'

Boiko continued his card-happy reputation on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old Ukrainian refereed his first MLS game on April 15, but has been a FIFA-sanctioned referee since 2011, with the distinguished UEFA Champions League and European World Cup Qualifiers on his resumé. Smith, however, felt that didn't translate to Wednesday.

"I think it was very, very easy for everyone to see in the crowd that this inexperienced referee, which is what he is — I think I looked and saw 10 games (officiated) in MLS — looked way, way out of his depths," Smith said.

"… There were so many different situations that (Boiko) just looked flummoxed about. There were clear-cut fouls that we made that were so obviously fouls, that he just let go."

Countless shots, few on target

Nashville hasn't scored in four of its past five games and in that span, have put just 10 of its 52 shots on goal.

Hany Mukhtar hasn't scored since his hat trick against St. Louis City SC. Randall Leal's two goals spurred Nashville to its only win since then.

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 loses to the Philadelphia Union 2-0 at Geodis Park