Nashville SC score vs Columbus Crew: Live updates

Nashville SC gets a second crack at the defending MLS Cup champions when it faces the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.

Nashville SC can at least take heart that its most challenging two-game stretch of the season is out of the way.

After falling 2-1 to Supporters' Shield-leading Inter Miami at home Saturday, Nashville fell 2-0 against the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field on Wednesday. The Crew, the defending MLS champions, scored once in each half to send NSC to its second straight defeat.

Columbus statistically dominated, outshooting Nashville 21-8 (7-3 on goal) and enjoying 58% possession. However, the Crew appeared to benefit from a missed call on their first goal, while Nashville had an apparent game-tying goal wiped off the board.

Earlier Wednesday, Nashville (6-7-8, 26 points) announced that United States national team assistant B.J. Callaghan will be the club's next coach. Callaghan will officially take over July 22, ahead of NSC's Leagues Cup opener against Mazatlán on July 31.

Nashville's next game is this Sunday at the Portland Timbers (8-7-6, 30 points).

Interim coach Rumba Munthali didn't replace the 4-2-3-1 formation he used in Nashville's last three games, but made a handful of personnel changes. Brian Anunga started in place of Sean Davis in midfield, Tyler Boyd shifted over to left wing to replace the injured Sam Surridge, and Alex Muyl stepped in for Boyd on the right. Up top, Forster Ajago made his first MLS start, drawing the assignment over Teal Bunbury.

The undrafted rookie from Duke, who impressed in a 20-minute substitute appearance against Inter Miami, got in good positions throughout the night. Ajago had one of Nashville's three shots on goal and one of the team's best chances, an open header off a corner kick. He was also involved in the buildup to Nashville's goal that was called back due to a handball on Boyd.

In the 30th minute, Crew forward Diego Rossi attempted to control the ball as it rolled toward the goal line and kicked it with his left foot, seemingly after it had already rolled out of bounds. Yet play wasn't blown dead, and just seconds later, Columbus had the ball in the back of the net via a Christian Ramírez header.

Nashville was on the other end of a controversial decision on a scoring play. Boyd appeared to have equalized for NSC in the 50th minute, heading the ball home off an errant Columbus clearance, but referee Joe Dickerson ruled the ball touched Boyd's hand after a VAR check.

Fifteen minutes later, Rossi beat Joe Willis with a left-footed finish.

The game was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. local time. However, rain and lightning in the Columbus area led to a two-hour delay. The teams didn't take the field for warmups until 8 p.m., and kicked off 45 minutes later.

MORE: How Nashville SC can address its biggest needs with MLS summer transfer window looming

From the source Jacob Shames can be reached by email at [email protected] and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.