Preview: Austin FC vs Nashville SC

Nashville SC are back in action after the international break, kicking off the final stretch of their 2026 season with a trip to Austin, their first match at TQL Stadium since their 2–1 win in the US Open Cup final last year.

The 'Yotes head to Texas needing 15 points from their final seven matches to set the MLS single-season points record, while also knowing that wins against Austin on Saturday and Sporting KC on Wednesday could be enough to officially clinch the Supporters' Shield.

We'll be watching the match at Yazoo Brewing Company in Madison. Come hang out with us!

Tired of cheering for bad Nashville sports teams? We've got you covered.

Nashville SC are the best team in Major League Soccer, and we're offering 50% off new yearly subscriptions. Take it from us; following a Nashville team can actually be fun!

Subscribe for a full year for just $15!

Match info

Teams: Austin FC vs Nashville SC
Referees: Ismail Elfath (Ref), Corey Parker (AR1), Kyle Atkins (R2), Armando Villarreal (4th), Kevin Stott (VAR), Craig Lowry (AVAR)
Soccer Datavizer odds: ATX (37%, 0.96 xG), Draw (37%), NSH (29%, 0.86 xG)
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 7:30 pm CT, Q2 Stadium, Austin, TX, United States
TV: Apple TV
Apple TV Commentary: Max Bretos & Brian Dunseth (English), Raul Guzman (Spanish)
Radio: 99.7 Super Talk
Radio Commentary: Will Boling
Forecast: 89º/63º. 82º at kickoff. Sunny. 3-7 mph winds. 0% chance of rain. 49% humidity.

Nashville SC Supporters' Shield clinching scenarios

With wins against Austin on Saturday and Sporting KC on Wednesday, Nashville could officially clinch the 2026 Supporters' Shield. Here's what needs to happen:

How Nashville SC can clinch the Supporters' Shield in two games

Nashville SC must win at Austin (Sat) and vs. Sporting KC (Wed) to reach 66 points and 20 wins. Total wins is the first tiebreaker, so a rival that tops out at 66 with 19 or fewer wins still finishes behind.

Club	Ceiling now	Pts in next 2	Next two games	What has to happen
Nashville SC	81	need 6	at Austin, vs. Sporting KC	Win both
Vancouver Whitecaps	71	max 0	at LAFC, at St. Louis	Lose both
St. Louis CITY SC	68	max 4	vs. LA Galaxy, vs. Vancouver	Beat Vancouver, then lose or draw vs. the Galaxy
FC Dallas	68	max 4	at Charlotte, vs. Seattle	Can't win both (a win and a draw is fine)
New England Revolution	67	max 4	vs. Seattle, at Cincinnati	Can't win both
Inter Miami CF	67	max 4	vs. D.C. United, vs. NYCFC	Can't win both
Chicago Fire FC	66	max 4	vs. NYCFC, vs. Philadelphia	Can't win both
San Jose Earthquakes	66	max 4	at Colorado, at Salt Lake	Can't win both
Houston Dynamo FC	65	—	at Minnesota, at San Diego	Already capped at 65
Charlotte FC	64	—	vs. Dallas, at Columbus	Already capped at 64

Ceilings are from the SixOneFive Soccer standings projections (Oct. 8). "Pts in next 2" is the most a club can take from its next two games and still be shut out of the Shield. Cases that would leave a rival level on both points and wins (Vancouver after a draw and a loss, Chicago or San Jose after two wins) come down to goal difference and are treated as not clinched.

Head-to-head

Availability report

Published on Friday at approximately 4 pm CT

Austin FC

The numbers

Austin snapshot

2026 has been a rough year for Austin FC. After finishing sixth in the West last season and finishing as runners-up in the US Open Cup, Verde followed it up with an incredibly poor start to 2026.

Head coach Nico Estévez was fired in May after three wins, five draws, and six losses, with assistant coach Davy Arnaud taking over as interim manager. In a rarely-seen move, sporting director Rodolfo Borrell was sacked at the same time, with several puzzlingly poor moves putting Austin in a roster-building hole.

Austin went out and brought in CSO Khaled El-Ahmad from Minnesota United, but not before hiring former Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin to take over after the 2026 season ends, bringing in one of the most highly-rated managers in the MLS landscape to Texas.

"There's definitely excitement for Curtin to come in," Verde All Day's Phil West told us. "He had an introductory press conference in June and charmed all the media members there, me definitely included. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the principles he discussed being put into action."

Zoomed N: Austin FC with Verde All Day

Phil West stops by to get us up to date before Saturday’s US Open Cup final rematch

SixOneFive SoccerSixOneFive Soccer Staff

Under Arnaud, Austin have shifted to more of a back three system, with Brandon Vázquez flanked by Myrto Uzuni and Facundo Torres. They've been bolstered by the emergence of 18-year-old midfielder Ervin Torres, a standout at the MLS NEXT Pro level who has broken into the first team after the World Cup break.

Stylistically, Austin have very similar goals to Nashville, looking to control the tempo of matches and being very patient in their buildup, but they're simply less efficient than Nashville.

Austin head into the match with one win, four draws, and a loss in their five home matches since the return from the World Cup break. In 13th place in the West and five points below the playoff line, every match is borderline must-win for them at this stage. Nashville will get their best punch.

Predicted XI

Your favorite American soccer podcast hosted by David Gass, Tom Bogert, Jordan Angeli, and Matt Doyle.

Learn more!

Nashville SC

The numbers

Nashville SC snapshot

Nashville SC return from the international break in essentially full health. Head coach BJ Callaghan confirmed on Friday that forward Warren Madrigal, whose five goals are the fourth-most on the team, is back in training and available for selection. The Costa Rican suffered an injury during the World Cup break, and aggravated it during Leagues Cup. In all, he's missed 14 of their last 16 matches. Getting him back will be a major boost.

Heading into the final stretch of the season, Nashville have a 10-point lead over Vancouver Whitecaps in the Supporters' Shield race. They've averaged 2.22 points per game so far this season, and need an additional 15 points from their final seven games (2.14 points per game) to hit 75 points, which would set the single-season MLS record.

Playing on the road is uniquely difficult in MLS, but Nashville match up very well with this Austin team. On paper it's a winnable match, but with playoffs looming and every result pivotal for the postseason, it won't be as straightforward as it might seem.

Predicted XI

Staff predictions

Ben Wright

Score: ATX 1–1 NSH
Scorers: Elias Saad
MOTM: Elias Saad
Bold prediction: Elias Saad finally puts a decent shot on target, unlocking a strange new reality for the Boys In Gold.

Jeff Remlinger

Score: ATX 2–1 NSH
Scorers: Hany Mukhtar
MOTM: Patrick Yazbek
Bold prediction: It's hard to win on the road. Shield celebrations are put on hold but are far from canceled.

Ronan Briscoe

Score: ATX 0–1 NSH
Scorers: Hany Mukhtar
MOTM: Hany Mukhtar.
Bold prediction: Austin is probably going to be a very good team very soon under Jim Curtin in 2027, but the calendar has not yet flipped.

Valair Shabilla

Score: ATX 1–1 NSH
Scorers: Hany Mukhtar
MOTM: Hany Mukhtar
Bold prediction: It will be very boring, and at least one of the goals will be from a pen.

Pre-match media