MIAMI, FL – Nashville SC came back from behind to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw at Nu Stadium on Saturday night, with Sam Surridge's 91st-minute equalizer earning a valuable point on the road against Inter Miami.
The point puts Nashville SC at 54 points on the season, tying their single-season record with just 25 matches played, and holding onto their nine-point lead over Miami in the Eastern Conference table.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: Nashville opened the scoring just four minutes in through Sam Surridge, and the striker bookended it with a dramatic equalizer nearly 90 minutes later. In between, Miami had plenty of chances to score more than the two goals they gave up, with the woodwork and some exceptional defending saving Nashville.
- What we learned: This felt like a playoff atmosphere, and Nashville stepped up. They matched the physicality of the match, but were also able to deal with the extracuriculars Miami threw at them.
- Big picture: This is the best a Nashville team has ever been. 54 points ties their record, set in 2021 and 2025. In 2025, Nashville had a record of 16 wins, six draws, and 12 losses. So far in 2026, they have 16 wins, six draws, and just three losses.
Highlights
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Key moments
- 4' | After a strong start, Nashville open the scoring. Sam Surridge gets just his second away goal of the season, bringing down a fantastic diagonal ball from Andy Nájar before his shot takes a slight knick off of Casemiro on its way in.
- 18' | Lionel Messi uncorks a shot from the edge of the box, and Brian Schwake does well to get down and tip it wide.
- 19' | Nashville's clean sheet is short-lived. Reed Baker-Whiting gets his head on the ensuing corner, unwhittingly sending it into his own goal at the near post.
- 24' | Baker-Whiting whips in an enticing cross, but Cristian Espinoza's left-footed half-volley sends it just over the bar.
- 31' | Hany Mukhtar plays Surridge through on goal with what looks like a mirror image of their opening goal, and the striker goes down in the box. Referee Guido Gonzalez Jr. initially points to the spot, but the flag is up for offside.
- 40' | A quick throw-in from Alex Muyl catches Miami off guard, and a cross from Mukhtar is cleared away from an empty net before Nashville can bundle it in.
- 50' | Miami come inches away from the lead when Messi rattles the bar. The sequence started with what looked like a foul on Muyl in midfield, and Nashville players are visibly upset.
- 55' | A set piece from Espinoza is headed clear, and Matt Corcoran sends his volley comfortably over the bar.
- 62' | After a sustained sequence in Nashville's half, Miami take the lead through Lionel Messi, who receives a cushioned layoff from Rodrigo De Paul and curles an unstoppable shot into the side netting.
- 70' | A goal-saving challenge from Jeisson Palacios stops Miami from pulling even further ahead after an unforced giveaway from Baker-Whiting.
- 74' | Surridge comes close to pulling Nashville level, but his left-footed volley is blocked at close range by Casemiro.
- 78' | An incredible save from Brian Schwake keeps Nashville in the game. His initial block is rebounded into the path of Messi, and the 'keeper somehow tips his point-blank shot off the post and out.
- 82' | Shak Mohammed has a ball played right to him by a Miami defender for his first touch of the night, and drives a low shot just past the post.
- 89' | Another unreal effort from Palacios, heading a Messi shot off the line after the reigning MVP rounds Schwake and looks to score in an empty net.
- 90+1' | Surridge pulls a goal back for Nashville at the death after an exceptional counter. Mohammed's low shot is blocked, and Surridge buries the rebound to make it a brace.
- 90+4' | It should have been the winner for Miami. De Paul receives the ball on the edge of the box and smashes the post with the last kick of the game.
Standout performers
- Jeisson Palacios had one of the all-time great individual performances ever for a Nashville defender. The Colombian had a few crucial defensive interventions, including a late header to flick Lionel Messi's shot over an open goal. His distribution was also stellar. He's the definition of a big-game player.
- Heading into the night, Sam Surridge had only scored one goal in MLS play away from Geodis Park. He picked a perfect time to buck that trend, scoring one of the more important goals for Nashville this season to keep Miami at bay in the table.
- Shak Mohammed has appeared in every match since the World Cup break, and the young forward showed why with a game-changing performance. He nearly scored with his first involvement, and took the shot that Surridge rebounded in. He's one of the first names off the bench for a very deep team.
Lineup notes
Nashville head coach BJ Callaghan brought Alex Muyl back into the starting lineup, putting the versatile player in a box-to-box role in a three-man midfield. Matt Corcoran also slotted into the squad ahead of Eddi Tagseth.
What it means
Nashville maintain a nine-point lead over Miami in the East, and are eight points ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Supporters' Shield race (the 'Caps don't play until Sunday).
While this week has put a damper on Nashville's quest to set the single-season MLS points record, it's still within the realm of possiblity. They'll need 21 points from their final nine matches – five of them at home – to hit 75 points.
Ben Wright
Up next
Nashville have a much-needed week off before taking on the Chicago Fire, another potential Eastern Conference contender, at Geodis Park on Saturday night.
Stats
Possession: MIA 62% – 38% NSH
Field tilt (per Futi): MIA 58% – 42% NSH
Shots: MIA 14 – 18 NSH
Shots on goal: MIA 5 – 3 NSH
Penalty kicks: MIA 0 – 0 NSH
Goals: MIA 2 – 2 NSH
Expected goals: MIA 1.70 – 2.40 NSH
Total Passes: MIA 550 – 321 NSH
Fouls: MIA 13 – 18 NSH
Yellow cards: MIA 3 – 2 NSH
Red cards: MIA 0 – 0 NSH
Deserved win (per Futi): MIA 21% – 56% NSH
Announced attendance:
