Accam’s late strike gives Nashville first MLS victory
LOS ANGELES: David Accam’s 86th-minute strike lited Nashville SC to their first-ever Major League Soccer victory Wednesday, a 1-0 win over FC Dallas.
The league’s first match back in regular-season play came in the wake of the MLS is Back Tournament -- which saw clubs competing in a quarantine “bubble” in Florida ater the coronavirus pandemic brought play to a halt in March.
FC Dallas and Nashville both missed that event, forced to withdraw ater multiple positive COVID-19 test results among players and staff.
Scoring chances were few and far between for the clubs who hadn’t played in five months.
Veteran midfielder Accam came off the bench in the 82nd minute and four minutes later he dribbled through a weary Dallas defense and fired a let-footed shot that skidded past goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer.
Dallas pressed for a late equalizer, but Nashville -- playing their inaugural season -- held on for the victory.
Nashville head coach Gary Smith wasn’t with the club ater a positive COVID-19 test that proved to be a false result.
Although he’s since had two negative tests, Smith was unable to rearrange his travel plans to make it to Dallas, where 2,912 fans were in atendance.
Dallas and Nashville are scheduled to play again on Sunday as they play catch up with the rest of the league, who each counted three MLS is Back tournament matches among their regular season results.
Meanwhile, France’s World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi will join David Beckham’s Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, the American club announced on Thursday.
Matuidi, 33, has let Italian champions Juventus by mutual consent ater three years, for the club co-owned by Beckham, his former Paris SaintGermain teammate.
“I made my decision a few weeks ago to join Inter Miami, rise to my friend David Beckham’s challenge and win new trophies there. My family and I can’t wait,” Matuidi wrote on Twiter.
Matuidi joined the Turin giants from Paris Saint-germain in 2017 and had one year let on his contract.
“I couldn’t be happier to welcome my friend Blaise to Inter Miami. He is an exciting and gited player and a great person,” said Beckham.