NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Saturday night, Andy Najar scored just before halftime and Ahmed Qasem netted his first Major League Soccer (MLS) goal, leading Nashville SC to a 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers.
The scoring opened in stoppage time of the first half when a series of rapid passes allowed Edvard Tagseth to deliver a pass from the edge of the area to Najar. Najar, positioned on the right, struck a low one-touch shot, marking his return to MLS scoring since his last goal in 2021 and Nashville’s debut goal of the current season. The 31-year-old spent the previous year playing in Honduras.
Nashville doubled their advantage with an inventive play involving Daniel Lovitz. From the left, Lovitz sent a high ball into the box where 21-year-old Qasem was ready. Qasem met it perfectly, directing a header past the near post, bringing Nashville’s record to 1-1-1.
Portland, now sitting at 1-2-0, struggled to maintain possession, holding the ball just 45% of the match. They were thoroughly outshot by Nashville, with a tally of 23 attempts to Portland’s nine, and a target ratio standing at 10 to 4.
The game also witnessed a notable performance by James Pantemis in the Timbers’ goal. He made an impressive nine saves, becoming the second goalkeeper in MLS history to stop multiple penalty shots within one half, a feat first achieved by Tony Meola with Kansas City Wizards in 2002. Pantemis kept out a penalty from Hany Mukhtar in the sixth minute and thwarted Sam Surridge’s effort from the spot a mere twelve minutes later.
