NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC made the perfect start to their MLS season on Saturday night, breezing past an outgunned New England Revolution in a heavily one-sided performance.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: Opening their MLS season at Geodis Park, Nashville came roaring out of the gates, smashing four goals past an injury-hit New England backline. The win was the largest margin of victory ever for Nashville in an MLS-opening match.
- What we learned: Nashville's attack has been hyped all offseason, and they didn't disappoint. After signing a new long-term contract, Sam Surridge picked up right where he left off last season, opening the scoring in the sixth minute and bagging a brace. Hany Mukhtar and Warren Madrigal also found the net.
- Big picture: Nashville won in Concacaf Champions Cup action midweek, but they cruised on Saturday. The win gives them a huge momentum boost to start the season and reinforces their credentials as a favorite in the Eastern Conference.
Highlights
Key moments
- 5' | Surridge pokes home a loose corner kick from close range to open the scoring.
- 16' | Surridge makes it a brace after a crisp passing move started by Cristian Espinoza, tapping in a curling cross from Eddi Tagseth.
- 39' | Hany Mukhtar grabs his first goal of the year after a headed pass from Madrigal, smashing into the roof of the net.
- 47' | The Revs pull a goal back through Leo Campana, who snaps in a volley after a Carles Gil cross catches Maxwell Woledzi off balance.
- 50' | Madrigal caps off an exceptional debut, crashing the far post to bury a rebound after a shot from Surridge
Standout performers
- Warren Madrigal made a strong case for the best debut performance in Nashville SC history. He had a hand in all three goals, including two direct assists, scored a goal, and covered seemingly every blade of grass in the attacking half.
Warren Madrigal (goal, two assists) is the first player in @NashvilleSC history to record a multi-point game in his @MLS debut and the seventh player in league history to have 3 goal contributions in his first match. #everyoneN
— Sean Lansing (@SeanLansingNSC) February 22, 2026
- A favorite to win the Golden Boot award, Sam Surridge continued his rich vein of scoring form with a brace, pulling apart New England's center backs and benefiting from some fantastic service. His campaign is off to a flying start.
Lineup notes
Head coach BJ Callaghan only threw one curveball into his lineup selection, giving Warren Madrigal the start out wide instead of Ahmed Qasem, who had been expected to get the nod.
Madrigal, Woledzi, Espinoza and Brian Schwake made their Nashville debuts from the start, with forward Woobens Pacius also getting his off the bench in the second half.
What it means
One game does not a season make, but for a side expected to be one of MLS's best attacking units, Nashville certainly didn't disappoint. They moved the ball quickly and efficiently, continuously finding ways to exploit space and disrupt the Revs' backline.
There will absolutely be tougher tests this season, but you can only beat the team in front of you. It's a positive start for Nashville. They'll quickly shift focus to try and ensure it becomes the rule, not the exception.
Up next
Nashville stay at home for the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Atlético Ottawa on Tuesday night.
📊 Stats
Possession: NSH 55% – 45% NE
Total Passes: NSH 540 – 439 NE
Shots: NSH 14 – 4 NE
Shots on goal: NSH 8 – 1 NE
Penalty kicks: NSH 0 – 0 NE
Goals: NSH 4 – 1 NE
Expected goals: NSH 3.09 – 0.81 NE
Fouls: NSH 16 – 11 NE
Yellow cards: NSH 0 – 1 NE
Red cards: NSH 0 – 0 NE
Announced attendance: 25,044
