A Homegrown Stunner
Benji Michel scored his first goal of the regular season and his second across all competitions on Wednesday night at Nashville, ripping a strike from outside the area that sailed into the top-corner for the finish. The Homegrown product has now totaled two goal contributions in as many matches, having earned an assist at Atlanta a week ago. Since signing with the Lions ahead of the 2019 campaign, Michel has scored seven goals while adding two assists in all contests.
We Meet Again
Saturday will mark the Lions’ second match against The Five Stripes within the last week, the first of which came in a 3-1 victory on Aug. 29 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Júnior Urso, Chris Mueller and Nani each found the back of the net in that contest, putting Atlanta at a two-goal deficit at the half on their home turf for the first time in their history. Nani’s finish served as the late insurance goal, as well as his third goal of the year in regular-season play.
Another Milestone
Entering the match in the 53rd minute on Wednesday night, Chris Mueller recorded his 70th appearance in MLS regular-season play since he was selected sixth-overall at the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Mueller sits tied for second in Club history in assists with 14 and has netted the same amount of goals in his nearly three seasons as a Lion. He currently ranks second in MLS with six goals this season, trailing only LAFC’s Diego Rossi.
Back into the Fold
Mauricio Pereyra re-entered the equation for the Lions on Wednesday night, continuing his form from the week prior with an assist on Benji Michel’s 17th-minute finish. The assist served as his third in his last two appearances after recording two assists against Nashville at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 26. In just 14 regular-season appearances since joining the Club midway through the 2019 season, the Uruguayan midfielder has notched seven goal contributions.
Continued Rotation
After making five changes to his lineup last Saturday against Atlanta, Head Coach Oscar Pareja made four changes on Wednesday night at Nashville SC to continue rotating his side. Kamal Miller and Robinho each recorded their first starts of the season, while Ruan and Mauricio Pereyra re-entered the starting XI for the Lions. In City’s last three matches, 18 different players have occupied a starting role as the side has remained unbeaten with a 2-0-1 record.
Milestone Tracker
- Nani (12) is one assist shy of tying former Lion Carlos Rivas for fourth in Club history.
- Daryl Dike is one goal shy of passing teammate Chris Mueller (3) for second in Club history in goals scored by a Lions’ MLS SuperDraft selection in their debut season.
- Uri Rosell is one appearance away from 50 for the Lions.
