America falls to Nashville in controversial penalty shootout

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NASHVILLE (AP) — Sam Surridge’s last-gasp score to send the game to penalties and Nashville beat America 6-5 in a controversial shootout on Tuesday to advance to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.

Walker Zimmerman put the hosts ahead at minute 61 to put the hosts ahead, but Chilean Dieego Valdés leveled at minute 77 and Colombian Julián Quiñones scored from eleven steps at minute 90 to put the Eagles ahead.

On the last play of the match, Surridge received a cross from the left and headed past goalkeeper Luis Malagón and sent the game to a penalty shootout.

América seemed to take the victory from eleven steps with a deflection from Malagón over Jack Maher, but referee Selvin Brown ordered the execution to be repeated because the Americanist goalkeeper went ahead.

With a second attempt, Maher finished with a shot to the same spot where he had missed, then Jonathan Dos Santos smashed a shot off the crossbar and Daniel Lovitz hit on the last try to put the home side through.

Nashville will face Minnesota in the next round.

The local team had the best arrivals at the start of the match, the first with a shot from Teal Bunbury and then with another from Fafá Picault that were diverted with difficulty by goalkeeper Luis Malagón.

America had its first and only dangerous arrival in the first half until the 32nd minute with a shot by American Alejandro Zendejas that went over the goal.

In the second half, Bunbury fired again inside the area and beat Malagón, but Kevin Álvarez deflected the ball to prevent the first score of the game in the 49th minute.

Nashville took the lead at 60 minutes from a corner kick in which Zimmerman beat Uruguayan defender Sebastián Cáceres in a jumper and headed home powerfully through the center of the Malagón goal.

América equalized in a play from the right, in which Valdés received a cross and headed it into the center of the goal.

Shortly after, Valdés fired a shot from outside the box that caught Lukas MacNaughton in the hand for a penalty that Quiñones converted with a smooth, placed shot.

As the game expired, Surridge received a cross from the left and headed into Malagón’s right post.

THE RED DEVILS GO

Toluca rose from a two-goal deficit to force penalties against Minnesota, but from there they lost 4-2 and were left out.

Joseph Rosales and Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored goals at 13 and 32 minutes to put the hosts ahead, but Chile’s Valber Huerta scored in the 66th and Brazilian goalkeeper Tiago Volpi scored a penalty at 71 to send the match to a tiebreaker.

Toluca, who had won their previous three matches scoring four goals in each, was out and will return home for the Apertura to resume.