NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC's Leagues Cup campaign officially came to an end on Wednesday night, falling 2-1 to CF Monterrey after Ahmed Qasem scored just 20 seconds into the match, the earliest goal in Nashville SC history.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: Nashville took an early lead and controlled much of the game, but a stoppage-time goal from Hugo Cuypers put their tournament to bed. In reality, they needed a multi-goal win to advance.
- What we learned: Like they did against Club León, Nashville's backups held their own for much of the match and didn't look out of place. Ultimately, though, Monterrey had more quality in both boxes, and it proved to be the difference.
- Big picture: Nashville are officially out of Leagues Cup, a tournament that was clearly not their main priority based on their lineup selection. They'll face off against Inter Miami on Saturday in a regular-season meeting, one that will have significant Supporters' Shield implications.
Highlights
Key moments
- 1' | Nashville open the scoring inside 20 seconds. Bryan Acosta does an exceptional job to win back possession deep in Monterrey's half, finding Hany Mukhtar on the edge of the box. The captain drives at the defense and cuts back for Ahmed Qasem, who finishes easily for the earliest goal in Nashville SC history.
- 5' | Josh Bauer makes a sliding tackle in the box to deny
- 24' | Mukhtar nearly doubles the lead for Nashville, rattling the bar with a curling free kick from prime range.
- 36' | Reed Baker-Whiting puts the ball in the back of the net, but his goal is called back for a handball.
- 45+2' | Xavier Valdez is called into his first real action of the night, doing well to tip a drive from Alonso Aceves over the bar.
- 47' | Another fantastic save from Valdez coming out of the break, fully extending to his left to parry a header wide.
- 52' | Monterrey equalize after a good run of pressure. Orbelín Pineda is slipped in behind Jack Maher, and rifles a shot above Valdez at the near post for the equalizing goal.
- 67' | Substitute Elias Saad curls a shot just wide of the post from range after a crisp passing move from Nashville.
- 73' | Another solid intervention from Valdez, coming off his line quickly to punch a low drive out of danger.
- 77' | Nearly a goal for Saad, who snatches at a shot after a mazy run from substitute Jordan Knight, with the effort trickling just wide of the post.
- 78' | A fantastic counter from Nashville ends at the feet of Bryan Acosta, who clobbers his shot just wide.
- 84' | Roberto de la Rosa finds the ball on the right side of Nashville's box, but he flashes his shot just wide of the far post.
- 90' | A golden chance falls to Saad, who does well to drive the ballto the top of the box but skies a left-footed shot, opting to take it himself over passing to a wide-open Sam Surridge.
- 90+2' | Monterrey take a late lead through Hugo Cuypers, who receives a cut-back header just outside the six-yard box and volleys off the far post.
Standout performers
- Charles-Émile Brunet had his best showing at the professional level. The rookie controlled the game for Nashville in midfield, setting the tempo in possession and covering plenty of ground in defense.
- Brunet's midfield partner, Bryan Acosta, also impressed. His ability to distribute from range stood out, and he rolled back the clock with some driving runs from midfield.
- Hany Mukhtar was excellent in the first half. He set up Qasem's opener, nearly scored a trademark free kick, and was everywhere in the final third.
Lineup notes
As expected, BJ Callaghan rotated his squad. Hany Mukhtar was the lone nailed-on starter in the starting lineup, and even he was only given the first 45 minutes.
Julian Gaines made his first Nashville appearance since July 25, 2025, coming off the bench as one of two players in the squad from Huntsville City, while Jordan Knight was brought on as a halftime substitute.
What it means
Nashville's priorities were clear from the outset with another heavily rotated squad. On one hand, the fact that they more than held their own against one of North America's best sides with a less than first-choice team was impressive. On the other, fans are left to wonder what could have been with a stronger squad.
Up next
With their Leagues Cup campaign officially over, the attention will fully shift to Saturday's Supporters' Shield clash with Inter Miami. Nashville enter the match just two points ahead in the table.
Stats
Possession: MTY 58% – 42% NSH
Shots: MTY 16 – 7 NSH
Shots on goal: MTY 5 – 1 NSH
Penalty kicks: MTY 0 – 0 NSH
Goals: MTY 2 – 1 NSH
Expected goals: MTY 1.27 – 1.05 NSH
Total Passes: MTY 395 – 263 NSH
Fouls: MTY 9 – 19 NSH
Yellow cards: MTY 1 – 2 NSH
Red cards: MTY 0 – 0 NSH
Announced attendance:
