Union visit Nashville SC with a trip to the U.S. Open Cup final on the line

The Union will look to put the most lopsided loss in club history behind them as they face Nashville SC in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal Tuesday at Geodis Park (8 p.m., Paramount+).

With a win, the Union will secure a spot in the Open Cup final for the fourth time in history. The team has finished as tournament runner-up three times, losing in the 2014, 2015, and 2018 finals.

Nashville has been thorn in the Union’s side this season. In MLS play, Nashville is the only team that has beaten the league-leading Union twice. Nashville, which joined MLS as an expansion team from the United Soccer League in 2020, is playing in its first Open Cup semifinal in club history.

The winner of Tuesday night’s match will secure a spot in the Open Cup final, hosted on Oct. 1 by the winner of the western semifinal between Minnesota United and Austin FC. Here are three keys for the Union to secure that spot.

Union manager Bradley Carnell called Saturday’s 7-0 loss to Vancouver “abnormal” after the match, as the Union’s defense was among the league’s best entering Saturday. Even after the Whitecaps’ seven-goal outburst, the Union have allowed only 33 goals in 30 league matches. Only Vancouver has allowed fewer goals so far this season, allowing 31 in 28 matches.

Nashville is one of three teams to score three goals in a match against the Union this season, alongside Vancouver and Miami. Nashville’s 3-1 win at Subaru Park on March 16 is the only time this season the Union have surrendered three goals in a loss at home.

Nashville’s attacking line is one of the strongest in MLS. It features Sam Surridge, who leads the league with 21 goals, and Hany Mukhtar, a former league MVP who has recorded 14 goals and 11 assists.

“We’re going to have to contain them,” Carnell said during his Monday press conference. “This is a once-off game now… We have to be up for the challenge and really excited about [it].”

» READ MORE: Union picking up the pieces after 7-0 shellacking in Vancouver, the worst loss in club history

Fortunately for the Union, they should have their first-choice squad for Tuesday night. Olwethu Makhanya, who has made 23 starts at center back for the Union this season, was unavailable for Saturday night’s match after picking up a red card in the Union’s 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati. He will be available, as will Kai Wagner, who spent the first 45 minutes of Saturday’s match on the bench.

The Union may get their first choice in goalkeeper back, too. Andre Blake has missed the last three matches after suffering a hamstring injury in the Union’s 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls. Carnell said a decision on Blake’s status will be made Tuesday morning.

The Union have been hurt from the penalty spot in each of their last two matches with Nashville. In Nashville’s win in March, Mukhtar scored on a second-half penalty after Jakob Glesnes collided with the Nashville midfielder in the 18-yard box.

In the return match at Nashville’s Geodis Park in July, the game was decided by a Mukhtar penalty shot with the teams scoreless in second-half stoppage time. Makhanya tripped Mukhtar in the penalty area and Nashville was awarded the penalty by video-assisted review.

For the Union to beat Nashville, they will need to show control when defending. Part of the Union’s identity is their physical defense. The team leads MLS in fouls (438), but it needs to make sure its physicality doesn’t work against it in big moments.

“These games with such a good quality opponent, it’s down to one play, one moment,” Carnell said. “We need to learn out of our moments most recently. We’ll put that to the test [Tuesday] and see where we’ve gone and what we’ve done.”

The Union left with a sour taste in their mouths after their 1-0 loss in Nashville. They spent much of the second half playing a man up after Jonathan Pérez was shown a red card in the 63rd minute but could not break the scoreless tie. The Union took 11 shots in the game, but only four of those came after Pérez was sent off.

The Union will need to cash in on their chances if they hope to reach a fourth Open Cup final.

“It’s a tight game,” Carnell said. “Two quality teams. I think when you get to a semifinal, and there’s only four teams left, I don’t think you should be speaking about gaping gaps in quality differences. It’s going to be a fun one for sure.”