Maxwell Woledzi scored on a header early in the second half for his first career MLS goal and first in any league in six seasons to lift Nashville SC to a 2-1 victory over visiting New York City FC on Saturday night.

Jeisson Palacios also scored his first goal of the season for Nashville (10-1-3, 33 points), which extended its winning streak to three league games and unbeaten run to eight heading into the World Cup break.

Nicolas Fernandez Mercau converted from the penalty spot for his 10th goal for NYCFC (5-6-4, 19 points).

But Brian Schwake made three saves for the victors, including a reflex stop of Fernandez Mercau in second-half stoppage time. That ensured the Coyotes will remain atop the Eastern Conference table through the seven-week hiatus. It also meant an end to the Cityzens’ three-match league unbeaten run.

Nashville leading scorer Sam Surridge made his first appearance in about a month as a late substitute in his return from back issues.

Palacios opened the scoring in the 17th minute when he escaped the mark of Nico Cavallo, reached Cristian Espinoza’s inswinging corner kick and powered his header between a deflection from goalkeeper Matt Freese and the crossbar.

Espinoza was also involved on Nashville’s second from Woledzi to restore a one-goal advantage in the 49th minute, sending in an initial cross from the left that failed to reach a teammate’s head.

It eventually sailed to Bryan Acosta, who settled beyond the far corner of the penalty area before sending in a second outswinging service toward the back post.

Woledzi rose above right back Tayvon Gray to meet it with a second powerful header to beat Freese beneath his crossbar.

Fernandez Mercau pulled NYCFC level from the spot in the 23rd minute, driving a confident finish down the middle as Schwake guessed incorrectly. Malachi Jones had lured Reed Baker-Whiting into the foul while dribbling at the fringe of the penalty area.

It was Mercau’s second penalty scored in as many attempts this season. The only other NYCFC player to take a penalty, Maxi Moralez, was lost for the season with a torn ACL suffered in last weekend’s draw with the New York Red Bulls.

–Field Level Media

Brian White logged a first half brace, helping send the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps into the World Cup break with a 4-2 defeat of San Diego FC on Saturday night.

Bruno Caicedo and Ralph Priso added second half markers for Vancouver (10-2-2, 32 points), which remains tied atop the West table on points with San Jose. David Vazquez and Bryan Zamble scored for San Diego (4-6-5, 17 points), which played the final 18 minutes plus stoppage time with 10 men after Luca Bombino earned his second yellow card.

The Whitecaps bounced back nicely from a 1-0 loss in stoppage time on May 16 at Houston, outshooting San Diego 20-10 and putting 11 shots on frame to San Diego’s three. The final margin could have been worse if CJ dos Santos hadn’t made seven saves for San Diego.

After nearly a half-hour of back-and-forth play, White initiated scoring in the 30th minute via a slick passing sequence. Tristan Blackmon sent Thomas Muller down the right side and the German star crossed into the middle for a sliding White, who flicked the ball past dos Santos with his left foot.

Just before halftime, White struck again. Taking a back-pass header from Jeevan Badwal, White beat dos Santos with a well-struck shot that snuck just inside the left post.

San Diego pulled one back in the 53rd minute as Anders Dreyer teed up Vazquez at the top of the box. After an initial touch got him into position, Vazquez lasered a shot between goalie Isaac Boehmer and the right post.

But Vancouver added on in the 67th minute with a pretty bit of passing. Muller hit White on the right side of the box and he split two defenders with a pass to Caicedo, who smashed it past dos Santos near the left post.

Priso tacked on his goal in the 75th minute after Bombino’s dismissal, collecting White’s shot that was headed for the net and roofing it just before it crossed the goal line.

Zamble capped the scoring in the first minute of stoppage time for San Diego.

–Field Level Media

Logan Farrington and Santiago Moreno converted first-half penalty kicks to lead FC Dallas to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in Commerce City, Colo.

Paxten Aaronson scored for Colorado (5-9-1, 16 points).

In the 12th minute, Dallas (7-4-4, 25 points) took a 1-0 lead on Farrington’s penalty kick. Aaronson clipped the right foot of the Dallas striker and sent him tumbling to the pitch to force the PK.

Moments later, Farrington buried it in the lower-left corner past Colorado goalkeeper Nico Hansen.

The Rapids leveled the match just one minute later when Wayne Frederick played a stretch pass down the sideline to Georgi Minoungou, whose slick through ball hit Aaronson in stride, allowing him to rifle a shot by Dallas goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.

Colorado’s high press continued to yield dangerous scoring chances. In the 19th minute, Minoungou again broke wide with the ball, but this time lofted a cross that Frederick couldn’t reach. Colorado tested Sirois in the following minute when the Dallas goalie secured a Rafael Navarro shot that was blocked by a defender.

Aaronson’s shot from 15 yards out was saved in the 23rd minute. Reggie Cannon’s in-swinging cross connected with Darren Yapi in the 28th minute, but his jumping side-foot flick was launched over the crossbar.

Dallas was awarded its second penalty kick in the 45th minute when Minoungou brought down Ran Binyamin. Moreno slow-played the penalty, and his shot snuck under Hansen’s diving attempt to his left.

Just out of halftime, Yapi’s cross found Aaronson, whose bicycle-kick shot in the 47th minute was blocked and stopped by Sirois.

FC Dallas slowed the pace in the second half as it moved into a defensive 5-3-2 formation.

Colorado went a man down when Frederick was assessed a red card in the 87th minute, but still managed a few more scoring chances. Aaronson blasted a shot on frame in the 89th minute that Sirois went to his knees to save.

Dallas heads into the World Cup break with wins in four of its last five matches, while the Rapids have lost four of their last five league matches.

Colorado played without coach Matt Wells who was suspended for yellow-card accumulation. Rapids assistant coach Ally Harris filled in as interim head coach.

–Field Level Media