Anibal Godoy

Anibal Godoy

 Photo courtesy Nashville SC

Nashville SC fans can be forgiven for feeling a wide range of emotions following the team’s 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

Did the outcome, against Major League Soccer’s reigning champs, represent a much-needed bounce back following the worst loss in franchise history?

Or did it represent disappointment, the third time this season Nashville has held a second-half lead only to wind up deadlocked?

Should there be relief that the team’s most valuable player, midfielder Hany Mukhtar, scored his first MLS goal of the season — just his third league goal in the past 16 contests? Should there be excitement over midfielder Anibal Godoy’s stunning bicycle-kick goal?

Or was it frustrating that Nashville’s defense, playing without injured backs Walker Zimmerman, Lukas MacNaughton and Shaq Moore, surrendered multiple goals for the fifth time in the last six games across all competitions?

All questions were valid following Nashville’s fourth draw in its first six MLS games. The Boys in Gold (1-4-1) find themselves in 11th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference, with Saturday’s home game against Philadelphia on the horizon.

“[It was] wonderful to get Hany [Mukhtar] on the score sheet, and an outstanding goal from Anibal,” Nashville coach Gary Smith said. “I think most importantly, a response after a difficult week last week was paramount, and I thought there were some really good stages in the game ... But, at the moment with so many changes occurring, we managed to get ourselves a point on the board, and I think the frustration will be about not winning it.”

The best news for Nashville, outside of the point earned, was Mukhtar’s goal, a one-timer from about six yards following one of Jacob Shaffelburg’s two assists from the left side. It snapped an 11-game league goal drought for the 2022 MVP, who had last scored in an MLS game on Sept. 23, 2023.

The most electrifying moment came in first-half stoppage time, when Godoy — who had scored just twice in 71 previous MLS starts — leapt into the air, back to goal, and delivered a stunning bicycle-kick goal into the lower right corner. But by game’s end, Godoy was left frustrated, the result of a 73rd-minute, point-blank miss that could have given Nashville a 3-1 lead.

“I don’t know if I’ve scored another goal like this in my life, really,” Godoy said. “I am happy for the goal but disappointed for the draw, because we needed a win. I don’t care if I score a really good goal; I want to win. But we have to now focus on this [coming] week. This is our start already, we have so many games left. We have to wake up early to try to jump up in the table.”

Nashville’s ability to make progress in the standings should get a boost from a steady trickle of players returning to health in the near future.

MacNaughton (hip) missed his second straight game but is likely to return soon, possibly Saturday. Smith said last week that Zimmerman, who has played just 98 minutes in MLS games this season, could be available for Saturday. But Nashville may choose to be cautious, as a bye the following week would give Zimmerman two more weeks of recovery.

Forward Tyler Boyd (groin) is expected back on Saturday, and even midfielder Randall Leal (hip) — who hasn’t played a minute this year — has at least resumed practicing.

Once the walking wounded resume their rightful places, it will be easier to answer the many questions surrounding Nashville early in the season.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.