Nashville SC lost for the first time in 2026 on Saturday night, falling 1-0 to the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field after Philip Zinckernagel opened the scoring just 17 seconds into the match.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: Nashville gave up one of the earliest goals in MLS history, with Zinckernagel converting a cross from Jonathan Bamba for a close-range finish.
- What we learned: Nashville generally responded well to going a goal down, but overall the match was incredibly chippy, with 32 fouls between the two teams. While the intensity was impressive and they created enough chances to equalize, it wasn't their most clinical performance.
- Big picture: Nashville's unbeaten start to the season ends at nine matches, but still end the night with a two-point lead on top of the Eastern Conference.
Highlights
Key moments
- 1' | Chicago took the lead just 17 seconds into the match. A sloppy pass from Eddi Tagseth put Maxwell Woledzi in a bad spot, but the defender didn't handle the pass well either. Chicago quickly cycled the ball around, with a cross from Jonathan Bamba setting up Philip Zinckernagel for a tap-in, and the 1oth-earliest goal in MLS history.
- 18' | A fantastic passing move from Nashville ends with a pinpoint cross from Andy Nájar landing at the feet of Sam Surridge, but the Golden Boot leader peels his shot wide of the post.
- 50' | Brian Schwake comes up with a key save, denying Bamba from close range.
- 74' | Mukhtar sends a free kick towards goal, but Chris Brady makes an incredible reaction save, sticking out a trailing arm to tip the shot over the bar.
- 89' | Another fantastic save from Brady, denying a shot from Jeisson Palacios at the near post.
Standout performers
- Chris Brady was the man of the match, and deserves recognition here. The US international made a spectacular save to deny Mukhtar from a free kick, and his last-minute stop on Palacios saved the win for Chicago.
- Nashville's attack struggled, but Andy Nájar had arguably his best performance of the young season. The 2025 All-Star was a force down the right flank, consistently winning back possession and progressing the ball. He should have had an assist early in the half.
Lineup notes
After a full week of rest, BJ Callaghan opted not to rotate his squad, even with a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal against Club América looming on Tuesday.
What it means
It's a disappointing way for Nashville's unbeaten run to end – and for Brian Schwake to earn his first loss in a Nashville shirt – but they'll feel they deserved something from this one. Were it not for a stellar showing from Brady, they'd probably return home with a point.
Still, with a difficult series against Club América on the docket, and four of their next six league matches on the road, they'll want to quickly put the loss behind them.
Up next
Nashville return to Geodis Park on Tuesday night, taking on Liga MX giants Club América in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.
Stats
Possession: CHI 39% – 61% NSH
Shots: CHI 10 – 9 NSH
Shots on goal: CHI 3 – 4 NSH
Penalty kicks: CHI 0 – 0 NSH
Goals: CHI 1 – 0 NSH
Expected goals: CHI 1.13 – 0.70 NSH
Total Passes: CHI 298 – 473 NSH
Fouls: CHI 19 – 13 NSH
Yellow cards: CHI 2 – 1 NSH
Red cards: CHI 0 – 0 NSH
Announced attendance:
