After a disappointing exit in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Tuesday night, Nashville SC return home to Geodis Park, looking to quickly put the memory of their loss to Tigres behind them with a convincing performance against DC United.
Match info
Teams: Nashville SC vs DC United
Referees: Joshua Encarnacion (Ref), Jeremy Hanson (AR1), Ian McKay (AR2), Rosendo Mendoza (4th), Lukasz Szpala (VAR), Robert Schaap (AVAR)
Odds: NSH (-195), Draw (+300), DC (+475)
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
Time: 8:15 pm CT, Geodis Park, Nashville, TN, United States
TV: Apple TV, FS1
Apple TV Commentary: Tony Husband & Ross Smith (English), Nacho Garcia (Spanish)
FS1 Commentary: Josh Eastern & Lloyd Sam
Radio: 104.5 The Zone
Radio Commentary (104.5): Will Boling
Forecast: 77º/54º. 70º at kickoff. Partly cloudy. 2-8 mph winds. 0% chance of rain. 61% humidity.
Head-to-head
Nashville wins: 6
Nashville goals: 22
Draws: 3
DC United wins: 2
DC United goals: 12
Last meeting: NSH 5-2 DC (July 9, 2025 | US Open Cup)
Availability report
Published Friday at approximately 4pm CT
DC United
The numbers
Goal leaders: Tai Baribo (6), Louis Munteanu (3)
Assist leaders: João Peglow (3), Silvan Hefti (2)
Last match: NYC 0-2 DC (May 2, 2026 | MLS)
Data Power Rankings: 20th (12.40 score)
DC United snapshot
DC United find them again in the midst of a rebuild. Former Nashville assistant general manager Ally Mackay was fired last September, and after a lengthy search conducted by Dr. Erkut Sorgut... Dr. Erkut Sorgut was hired as the new general manager.
"Everyone knew change was necessary after the team fell apart in the middle of last season," All-Points Bulletin's Matt Hilliard told us. "But most DC fans were disappointed by the hire of Dr. Erkut Sogut to run the front office, given his lack of qualifications, LinkedIn slop hustleposting, and some really embarrassing comments by ownership about him being the smartest guy they'd ever met."
SixOneFive Soccer Staff
Despite a bevy of cringe-inducing posts on LinkedIn to go along with his questionable side-hustle as a novel writer, Sogut has managed to turn DC into a more functional roster, and the results on the field have been an improvement. Under Swiss manager René Weiler, they play a functional-not-flashy 4-4-2 system, and are heavily reminiscent of the Philadelphia Union in how they press.
With former DP Christian Benteke gone, DC spent big to bring in Tai Baribo from the Union, and he's been an ideal fit for the Black & Red, bagging six goals already. He's unfortunately injured, putting more pressure on 23-year-old Louis Munteanu to carry the attacking burden. The 23-year-old Romanian was met with skepticism as a new DP signing, but has scored three goals in his last two matches, rounding into form at a crucial time.
Predicted XI
Nashville SC
The numbers
Goal leaders: Sam Surridge (9), Cristian Espinoza & Hany Mukhtar (3)
Assist leaders: Cristian Espinoza & Mukhtar (5), Andy Nájar (4)
Last match: TIG 1-0 NSH (May 5, 2026 | CCC Semifinals)
Data Power Rankings: 3rd (29.70 score)
Nashville SC snapshot
Nashville's Concacaf Champions Cup run is over, but they're still in first place in the East, a remarkable feat given the heavy fixture congestion early in the season. Now, their sole focus is on MLS, competing for both MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield.
The main story this week has been injuries. Sam Surridge remains injured with a back issue suffered against Charlotte, but Callaghan says he's "optimistic" that the striker could return before the World Cup break begins after their May 23 match.
Midfield is another issue. Eddi Tagseth went out injured just 18 minutes into the first leg against Tigres, and Callaghan confirmed it will be "a long shot" for Tagseth to return before the break. Patrick Yazbek hobbled out of warmups before the second leg with a quad injury, and that will keep him out until the break.
Midfield was already one of the thinner areas of Nashville's squad, but it looks a little scary sans Yazbek and Tagseth. Matt Corcoran has proved to be a capable MLS starter with a high ceiling, but next to him, there are questions about Bryan Acosta's ability to be a consistent starter over multiple games, even after his solid showing in Monterrey midweek. Behind them, there's only 22-year-old Charles-Émile Brunet, a SuperDraft pick who's played just 26 minutes all season, and hasn't seen the field yet in MLS.
Nashville have built up a solid cushion in first place, and can't drop to second on Saturday, even with a loss. It will take a major team effort to step up and help cover for all the absences and ensure they avoid a post-CCC slump over the next month.
Predicted XI
Staff predictions
Ben Wright
Score: NSH 3-0 DC
Scorers: Hany Mukhtar (x2), Ahmed Qasem
MOTM: Hany Mukhtar
Bold prediction: A bit of poetry after Nashville's CCC exit sees Hany Mukhtar score his 100th Nashville goal as Nashville earn their 100th win of the MLS era.
Jeff Remlinger
Score: NSH 2-0 DC
Scorers: Ahmed Qasem, Maxwell Woledzi
MOTM: Maxwell Woledzi
Bold prediction: A sluggish Nashville need two set-piece goals to overcome a DC United team that never really threatens to score.
