Nashville SC are managing simultaneous MLS and Concacaf runs on an unprecedented pace

Nashville SC's run to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals is a big deal. On several levels.

It's the second time the Coyotes have competed in Concacaf, with their 2024 debut ending at the hands of Inter Miami in the Round of 16. Their second foray into the tournament has seen them take down Inter Miami and earn a historic win against Club América at the Azteca. They're the first MLS club ever to win a match at the Mexico City stadium.

Historic! Nashville SC’s win at Estadio Azteca

Nashville are the first MLS team to ever win a match at the legendary Mexico City stadium

SixOneFive SoccerBen Wright

It's a fantastic accomplishment for Nashville SC, who are certainly fullfulling their stated goal of "competing with the elite clubs of North America". What's even more impressive is that Nashville have done all this while competing at a Supporters' Shield pace in the MLS regular season.

Nashville are in the semifinals of the Conacacaf Champions Cup. They're also four points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference. That doesn't happen.

How MLS clubs perform during CCC

14 MLS clubs have advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals in the modern era of the competition.

Starting in 2018, the Concacaf Champions Cup (then called the Champions League) dropped its group stage and moved to a pure knockout format — Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Final. These legs were played as two-legged home-and-away ties from February through May. That calendar overlap is what makes deep runs so punishing for MLS clubs: the tournament's knockout rounds run concurrently with the opening months of the MLS regular season, forcing teams to compete on two fronts before the domestic table has even taken shape, and while they're still adjusting to the new season.

MLS club performance during CCC semifinal runs (2018-present)