NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC dropped points at home for just the second time in the 2026 MLS season, drawing Philadelphia Union in a scoreless affair.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: Head coach BJ Callaghan heavily rotated his squad after clinching the Supporters' Shield last Saturday in Montréal, and although they maintained their unbeaten record at Geodis Park, they now need results against Red Bull New York on Sunday and on the road against FC Cincinnati on Decision Day to earn four more points and break the single-season points record.
- What we learned: Defensively, Nashville were fantastic on the night. Brian Schwake kept his 15th clean sheet of the year, just the fourth goalkeeper in MLS history to hit that mark. With a stronger lineup from the outset, it's hard not to think Nashville would have had enough to win the match.
- Big picture: Nashville have played 16 home matches at Geodis Park in MLS, and they've won 14. Their 44 points at home are the most ever in an MLS season, and with 71 points on the season, they're tied for the fourth-most points in a single season.
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Key moments
- 21' | After an incredibly choppy start to the half, Eddi Tagseth gives up a free kick on the very edge of the box for a ghost push on Indiana Vassilev. He's rightfully in disbelief. The wall does its job on the set piece, but it's an absurd decision.
- 43' | Brian Schwake gets down quickly to push out a low drive across the box. It was going wide, but he got it out of the danger area well.
- 60' | Schwake optimistically comes off his line to try and claim a corner, but gets nowhere close. Reed Baker-Whiting does well to head the ensuing shot away from an empty goal.
- 66' | Warren Madrigal forces Andre Blake into an exceptional save, but the flag is up for offside on substitute Sam Surridge. It's Nashville's fifth offside of the night.
- 71' | An absolutely insane kick save from Schwake to deny substitute Ben Bender from point-blank range. That's save-of-the-year material from the 'keeper.
- 75' | Nashville's best look of the night so far falls to Hany Mukhtar, who receives a cut-back cross from Andy Nájar but has his shot blocked. Actually, never mind! The offside flag is up again!
- 76' | Madrigal nearly sneaks the ensuing corner in at the back post, but can't quite get a touch on the ball.
- 80' | Jeisson Palacios whips in a ridiculous ball for Maxwell Woledzi, but the center back heads wide. He was completely unmarked; he has to do better there.
- 86' | The ball falls to Nájar on the top of the box after Nashville's best sequence of play, but his shot goes wide.
- 88' | Another chance for Nashville! Palacios flicks on a long throw-in to Surridge, but his header is saved by Blake.
- 90+3' | A cross from Palacios falls to Patrick Yazbek, but he can't bring it down and misses a decent chance at a shot.
Standout performers
- Bryan Acosta made a major impact as a halftime substitute. His long-range passing opened up all kinds of space for Nashville, and he won back possession on several occasions deep in his own half.
- Jeisson Palacios was an absolute rock at the back and put in some really tasty service into the box. Nashville's 16th clean sheet of the season was in large part down to the Colombian.
- Brian Schwake wasn't called into action often, but stood up big when needed. He was also incredibly calm with the ball at his feet.
Lineup notes
After officially locking down the Supporters' Shield in Montréal on Saturday, head coach BJ Callaghan rotated more than expected, making five changes to his starting lineup.
Warren Madrigal got his first start since August 5, while Ahmed Qasem returned to the lineup (and the matchday squad) for the first time since the international break. Dan Lovitz replaced Andy Nájar at the back, while Alex Muyl slid into midfield.
What it means
With one home match left to on the calendar, Nashville are officially the best home team in MLS history. That fact shouldn't be glossed over, despite a less-than-stellar performance.
Up next
Nashville will officially celebrate the Shield in front of the Geodis Park fans on Sunday after their match against Red Bull New York. That match kicks off at 3:30 pm CT.
Stats
Possession: NSH 63% – 37% PHI
Field tilt (per Futi): NSH 45% – 55% PHI
Shots: NSH 8 – 6 PHI
Shots on goal: NSH 1 – 2 PHI
Penalty kicks: NSH 0 – 0 PHI
Goals: NSH 0 – 0 PHI
Expected goals: NSH 1.50 – 0.44 PHI
Total Passes: NSH 396 – 191 PHI
Fouls: NSH 8 – 15 PHI
Yellow cards: NSH 1 – 2 PHI
Red cards: NSH 0 – 0 PHI
Deserved win (per Futi): NSH 22% – 39% PHI
