Tai Baribo scored in the 77th minute as D.C. United rallied from a two-goal halftime deficit to draw Nashville SC 2-2 Saturday night at a sold-out Audi Field. Silvan Hefti scored his first career MLS goal in the 56th minute before Baribo completed the comeback against the Eastern Conference leaders.
The draw moved D.C. United to 5-5-8 with 23 points in the Eastern Conference and extended its unbeaten run to five matches. The club has taken points in 10 of its last 11 matches.
Nashville SC Builds Two-Goal Halftime Lead
Nashville SC took a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute after a handball in the area on a Hany Mukhtar cross. Sam Surridge converted the resulting penalty into the bottom-right corner.
Shak Mohammed doubled Nashville SC’s advantage eight minutes later, scoring from the center of the box after his first attempt was blocked. D.C. United entered halftime trailing 2-0 despite carrying the better of the possession.
Silvan Hefti and Tai Baribo Lead D.C. United Comeback
D.C. United pulled a goal back in the 56th minute. Louis Munteanu’s header from a corner forced a save from Nashville SC goalkeeper Brian Schwake, and Hefti struck the loose ball on a volley from eight yards. The goal was initially disallowed before being awarded following a review.
Hefti’s goal marked his first in MLS and his first in his first season with D.C. United. Head Coach René Weiler made two substitutions in the 64th minute, bringing on Matti Peltola for Brandon Servania and Nathan Ordaz for Jackson Hopkins.
Munteanu then helped create the equalizer in the 77th minute. Falling under pressure outside the area, he flicked the ball into Baribo’s path, and Baribo finished from 10 yards after allowing the ball to bounce once.
The goal was Baribo’s team-leading 11th of the 2026 MLS regular season and his fourth in four consecutive matches. Munteanu was involved in both D.C. United goals, forcing the save that led to Hefti’s goal and assisting Baribo’s equalizer.
Jared Stroud replaced Munteanu in the first minute of stoppage time as D.C. United pursued a winning goal. João Peglow struck the post from the top of the penalty area in the 89th minute, while Schwake finished with five saves for Nashville SC.
Unchanged Starting XI for D.C. United
Weiler used the same starting XI from D.C. United’s 2-1 win over Toronto FC. Sean Johnson started in goal behind Lucas Bartlett, Hefti, Keisuke Kurokawa and Kye Rowles, while Andre Dozzell and Servania anchored the midfield.
Jackson Hopkins and Peglow provided width, with Baribo and Munteanu starting together in attack. The result moved D.C. United to 2-5-5 in the all-time regular-season series against Nashville SC, including a 1-2-3 record at Audi Field.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
D.C. United’s response after falling behind 2-0 defined the match. Hefti’s first MLS goal gave the club momentum after halftime, and Baribo maintained his scoring run with his fourth consecutive match featuring a goal.
The draw preserved D.C. United’s five-match unbeaten run and extended its streak of taking points to 10 of their last 11 matches. Peglow’s late shot hit the post as the club came close to completing the comeback with a victory.
Source: Original report
