Joe Willis

Joe Willis 

 Photo: David Russell

It was not Nashville SC’s most inspired effort, but Saturday’s 0-0 draw with the Seattle Sounders FC did produce a significant benefit:

The outcome, combined with some other Major League Soccer results over the weekend, meant Nashville clinched a playoff berth for the fourth time in as many years as an MLS club. Only three other teams in the league — the Chicago Fire FC, Houston Dynamo FC and the Sounders — have reached the postseason through all first four years of their existence.

Nashville (12-9-9) sits in seventh place in the 15-team Eastern Conference, with the top nine teams assured of a playoff berth. The Boys in Gold have 45 points, trailing sixth-place Atlanta United FC by four points. The top four seeds are guaranteed home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The draw against Seattle extended Nashville’s unbeaten streak to five games — two wins, three draws — and marked the third time in five contests the team had posted a clean sheet.

But Nashville, even with a starting lineup that featured reigning MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar along with midfielder Randall Leal and forwards Sam Surridge and Jacob Shaffelburg, rarely threatened Seattle’s goal.

Nashville managed just five shots and put only one on goal. The best opportunity occurred when Surridge pushed a shot just past the post from inside the penalty box. The Boys in Gold posted an expected goal total of 0.27.

Seattle had 13 shots, three on goal and an expected goal total of 0.57.

“When I said in the pregame that this was going to be a tight one, I didn’t expect it to be quite as frustrating as the evening was,” Nashville coach Gary Smith said. “Two very, very sound defensive teams from our point of view. Not enough creativity and a fall below the standards, in terms of quality at home.

“The frustrations will be that I certainly that I felt as though Seattle certainly looked like they were vulnerable. And it was from the touchline a possible three points in the making.”

Nashville has four games remaining in the regular season, three of which will be played against teams above them in the conference. The Boys in Gold return to the pitch Wednesday at Geodis Park when they host Orlando City SC.