Recap: Nashville SC beat Inter Miami to stay alive in MLS Cup Playoffs

NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC kept their 2025 season alive with a 2-1 win over Inter Miami at Geodis Park on Saturday night, sending their Round One MLS Cup Playoffs series to game three.

Josh Bauer's first-half goal proved to be the winner, giving the Coyotes their first win over Miami in 10 attempts since Lionel Messi joined the club in 2023.

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The XI

After switching to a 4-3-3 for the first leg in Miami, Nashville head coach BJ Callaghan went back to the 4-2-2-2 they've used for the bulk of the season, but with a twist. Dan Lovitz missed out on the squad entirely with an ankle issue, forcing Josh Bauer to play out of position on the left.

In midfield, 19-year-old Matt Corcoran was a surprise start, replacing Bryan Acosta and sliding into an unfamiliar role on the left side of midfield.

On the pitch

Nashville needed a fast start, and they got it. A gorgeous clipped ball from Hany Mukhtar found Sam Surridge behind the back line, and the club's leading scorer earned a penalty, leaving a leg in to draw contact from Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo. Surridge dispatched the spot kick for his 32nd goal of the season.

Shortly before halftime, Josh Bauer doubled the lead from a set piece, stumbling during a corner kick, but still managing to poke the ball over the line to give Nashville a massive momentum boost heading into the break.

The second half was a track meet. The game became incredibly stretched, and Nashville found chance after chance to hit Miami on the counter. Frustratingly, though, the final pass or shot went missing every time. Surridge in particular skied a glorious chance after a perfect cross from Andy Nájar, putting what should have been the icing goal into the second level.

The missed chances almost came back. Lionel Messi, kept remarkably quiet for the bulk of the match, pulled a goal back with a perfect left-footed strike from the top of the box to give the Herons a lifeline. It set up an incredibly tense six minutes of stoppage time, in which Nashville left even more chances in transition on the table, but managed to hang on for a crucial win.

Goals

• 9' | NSH | Sam Surridge (PK)
• 45' | NSH | Josh Bauer
• 90' | MIA | Lionel Messi (Rodrigo De Paul)

The big picture

Nashville got huge performances from a few unlikely sources. Josh Bauer continued his knack for popping up with crucial goals, scoring his fourth of the season to swing momentum Nashville's way. Bauer was also pivotal out of possession, dealing with Tadeo Allende adeptly all night, and contributing to a team-wide effort to keep Lionel Messi quieter than normal.

Eddi Tagseth and Patrick Yazbek were immense in midfield, setting the tone and tempo early. The duo didn't back down from a challenge at all, leaving a little extra in on many a tackle and doing an impressive job to advance the ball in transition. Yazbek, in particular, drove the game forward in the second half, going on several powerful runs to open up space on the counter attack.

Matt Corcoran also looked mature beyond his years in one of the biggest games of his young career. A surprise start, he was diligent defensively and showed some real quality in possession, shifting into a more central role for the final 30 minutes and never looking out of his depth.

Jeisson Palacios and Walker Zimmerman was rocks at the back. The pair consistently won their duels and even carried the ball into midfield to kick-start Nashville's possession sequences.

Nashville will need to clean things up in the final third heading into next weekend. They left far too many chances on the table, again creating enough to score three or four goals and fully put the game to bed. They did enough, though. They'll go into the match as underdogs, but with 90 minutes between them and a conference semifinal against FC Cincinnati or the Columbus Crew.

Crazier things have happened.

Up next

Nashville will return to Chase Stadium next Saturday, November 8, for game three of their series. That match will kick off at a time to be announced.

Stats

Possession: NSH 39% – 61% MIA
Total Passes: NSH 258 – 438 MIA
Shots: NSH 10 – 12 MIA
Shots on goal: NSH 5 – 3 MIA
Penalty kicks: NSH 1 – 0 MIA
Goals: NSH 2 – 1 MIA
Expected goals: NSH 2.00 – 1.81 MIA
Fouls: NSH 15 – 10 MIA
Yellow cards: NSH 5 – 0 MIA
Red cards: NSH 0 – 0 MIA
Announced attendance: 30,109

Post-match media