Sam Surridge scores MLS-leading 17th goal, adds assist as Nashville beats Crew 3-0

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sam Surridge had a goal and an assists, Hany Mukhtar also scored a goal and Nashville SC beat Columbus 3-0 on Wednesday night to snap the Crew’s five-game unbeaten streak, which included four wins.

Joe Willis had four saves and his eighth shutouts this season — tied for third most in MLS — for Nashville (13-5-5).

Nashville took a 1-0 lead in the second minute on an own goal by Sean Zawadzki. Edvard Tagseth, on the counter-attack, tapped a first-touch pass from the top of the area to the left side, where Alex Muyl played a chest-high entry that was redirected into the net by Zawdzki.

Mukhtar scored in the 30th make it 2-0. Surridge, on the counter-attack, played a low cross from the left side of the area to a charging Mukhtar for a sliding finish the deflected off the hands of goalkeeper Patrick Schulte into the net.

Surridge made it 3-0 with MLS-leading 17th goal of the season in the 82nd. Andy Nájar played a low ball-ahead that led Ahmed Qasem toward the right end line and, as Schulte darted to the near post, Qasem tapped a back-pass to Surridge for a first-touch finish into a wide-open net.

Schulte finished with two saves.

Columbus (11-4-8) had 58% possession and outshot Nashville 23-10, though each team had just four on target.

Nashville lost 2-1 to Lionel Messi — who scored two goals for his MLS-record fifth consecutive game — Miami last time out to snap a four-game win streak and a club-record 12-match unbeaten streak.

The teams played to a 2-2 tie on May 28.

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