Luis Baraja made five savings to help Nashville SC go into DC United Escape with a scorer draw against Nashville SC.
In a match in which Nashville (7-4-3, 24 digits) generated most scoring opportunities, it was still struggling to look clear against Baraga, which noted its second straight sheet.
Tie won Nashville five consecutive all-competition at home and prevented Koyotes from completing four-market homestand sweeps, including a 1-0 US Open Cup win over Chetanogo Red Walves last week.
It was a second straight scorer-free draw without a goal for DC United (3-6-5, 14 points).
DC produced just three shots and took a corner, making Nashville keeper a simple night for Willis, who saved only one to record his fourth clean sheet.
Jacob Murrail had the best DC’s best opportunity, Nashville came in the second half stop time after a clearing attempt, but his shot was closed to the right.
DC United had surrendered more goals (25) than any side at the MLS Eastern Conference, but Nashville’s top two dangers Hani Mukhtar (six goals, four aids) and Sam Sarij (six goals, three aids) bottled up.
Nashville SC took five corners and many other set-pieces opportunities, but they had difficulty making connections. Baraja also stopped two free kick efforts by Mukhtar from outside the penalty box.
Baraja has started in seven all-competition matches, DC has scored just eight goals with the same target.
The DC top scorer was without Christian Bentke (six goals), which is out for several weeks after maintaining a sprain in a scorerless draw with New York City FC on Wednesday.
Jackson Hopkins, who was coming out of the January ankle surgery, made his first debut of the season for DC, which also welcomed Joao Peglo, who missed five all-competition games with a hamstring injury after a 2–1 victory over the Red Bulls on 19 April.
-Bield level media
