Recap: Nashville SC grind out tricky road win at DC United

Nashville SC picked up yet another win, grabbing a 1-0 win at DC United thanks to a first-half penalty kick from Sam Surridge, his sixth-consecutive match with a goal.

The Coyotes stretch their unbeaten run to 13 matches in all competitions, with their 11 matches without a loss in league play their best-ever in MLS.

The XI

Head coach BJ Callaghan made just two changes to his lineup, bringing Jack Maher back into the starting group and replacing the suspended Eddi Tagseth with Gastón Brugman.

Midfielder Alan Carleton was included in the squad for the first time, a short-term call up from Huntsville City in MLS NEXT Pro, and made his MLS debut late in the second half.

On the pitch

After a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture, there wasn't a ton more excitement in DC. While Nashville were certainly the more comfortable side in possession, both teams struggled to create much of note in the final third.

Nashville opened the scoring in the 18th minute in a pattern that has become incredibly familiar this season. Hany Mukhtar made a late run into the box and got on the end of a pinpoint pass from All-Star Andy Najar, earning another penalty kick. As has become custom, Mukhtar held the ball until the last second, handing it off for Sam Surridge to dispatch. The goal, Surridge's league-leading 16th strike of the season, is his sixth consecutive match with a goal, a Nashville SC record.

Surridge had a chance to double the lead on another dime from Najar, playing him in behind the backline and clean through on goal, but a disappointing finish combined with a stellar save from Luis Barraza kept him from another brace.

In the second half, DC pushed numbers forward, including bringing on 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner Christian Benteke off the bench. And while both sides had several half-chances, neither were able to take advantage of the space that opened up late in the game, with Nashville taking home their second road win this week.

The big picture

While it was one of their uglier wins of the season, the three points count just the same. On a tough week of travel against a team with two weeks' rest, Nashville did enough to grind out a vital away victory.

Their attack certainly didn't flow like usual, but the Coyotes were able to take advantage of plenty of space in the midfield to control the flow of the game. The shot tally may not reflect it, but Nashville were comfortable with 59% of possession. On the road, playing in a sweltering DC in July, the ability to hold onto the ball for extended periods was absolutely crucial to keep their legs and avoid long stretches of being pulled from side to side.

Alan Carleton's debut off the bench was the first time a Huntsville City FC player has represented the club in MLS play, and showed plenty of potential for the 20-year-old, who has been crucial to Huntsville's improvements in the final third this year.

With four wins away from Geodis Park already this season, Nashville have equalled their total away wins from 2024. They're just a single point from matching their points tally for the full season, too.

Up next

Nashville get a full week off before a mouth-watering matchup against Philadelphia Union. As of Saturday night, just two points separate third-place Nashville and the Union at the top of the Supporters' Shield standings (the Union will play Columbus Crew tomorrow on Sunday night soccer).

Stats

Possession: DC 41% – 59% NSH
Passes completed: DC 310 – 505 NSH
Shots: DC 7 – 7 NSH
Shots on goal: DC 1 – 2 NSH
Penalty kicks: DC 0 – 1 NSH
Goals: DC 0 – 1 NSH
Expected goals: DC 0.60 – 1.04 NSH
Fouls: DC 14 – 13 NSH
Yellow cards: DC 3 – 1 NSH
Red cards: DC 0 – 0 NSH
Announced attendance:

Post-match media

Highlights