NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Arguably the biggest hallmark of Nashville SC’s inaugural professional season has been the club’s defense, which has conceded only seven goals so far in the USL regular season, tied for the fewest allowed in the league this season.

On Wednesday night at Vanderbilt Stadium, that defensive sturdiness came to the fore once again, this time in a 2-0 victory in the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids that sent the USL side into the Round of 16.

Nashville may have conceded the battle for possession on the night, but in allowing the Rapids only three shots total – none of which forced a save from NSC goalkeeper Matt Pickens – the hosts stifled their top-flight opposition in one of the most impressive displays of the Fourth Round.

“I think that’s been the DNA for us all season is eliminating opportunities,” said NSC defender Justin Davis. “The backboard has been stout all season and Matt has been awesome back there for us, so I think they might have had a little more possession the second half, but when you’re not giving up crosses and shots it’s hard for them to do anything with those possessions.”

While Davis and his cohorts on the back line held Rapids forward Dominique Badji – who entered having scored five goals in 11 games in MLS this season – and the rest of the visitors in check, the hosts made the most of the opportunities they created at the other end. The opening goal came at an ideal moment six minutes before halftime as Davis’ tantalizing cross from the left caused indecision in the Colorado defense, which saw midfielder Micheal Azira – the goalscorer in the Charleston Battery’s 2012 USL Cup victory – turn the delivery into his own net.

Nashville put the game away for good with 12 minutes to go as substitute Ropapa Mensah made an immediate impact after his introduction a minute prior, putting home a headed finish that just crossed the line after hitting the right upright. As well as the host’s defense was faring, there was no way back for the Rapids from there.

“I think what we are seeing though from this group that I’ve got is a tremendous amount of pride and passion when they play for such a young outfit,” said Nashville Head Coach Gary Smith. “I think you’ve got a group of guys tonight as well that have seen an opportunity to go and really make a mark.”

READ MORE: Nashville Cruises to Victory Against Rapids

For Smith, and the likes of Pickens, the victory came at the expense of their former club, with both having been part of the Rapids 2010 MLS Cup victory earlier in their respective careers. While that was one of the storylines going in, Smith said it didn’t add to the accomplishment of advancing past a top-flight opponent and into the Round of 16.

“I’ve said from the very outset that if we’d have been playing LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, any other team from MLS, I would be just as excited as I am now, because I know what those players are capable of,” said Smith. “I want them to do well, obviously, and I want the fans to see constantly how hard they’re working and how much pride they play with. So tonight was no different. It added spice to it, because of course I’ve been there. But, I’ve said to numerous people, it’s been a long time, there’s a lot of water under the bridge since I left there.”

“Yeah, I mean it is what it is,” added Pickens. “At the end of the day it’s an MLS team. We are headed there, and we wanted to play well. It’s a playoff game and we put our best guys out there and they put their best guys out there and if you lose you’re out. That’s the game, so it doesn’t matter who we play we want to win.”

With Nashville’s undefeated streak now at nine games in all competitions, the side is now aiming to carry on its stellar form in both the league and the Open Cup.

That said, Wednesday night’s victory was certainly one that will stay in the memory longer than those that had come before it.

“The biggest thing is that I think that’s nine in a row unbeaten for us, so regardless of who the opponent is we are just trying to build off of that and keep that streak going,” said Davis. “But you throw an MLS team on top of that and it makes it a little more special.”