Recap: Nashville SC sweep Charlotte in dominant showing

NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC completed their 2026 sweep of Charlotte FC, piling on the goals in a 4-2 win, their fourth win in as many MLS matches at Geodis Park this season.

The vibe check (TL;DR)

What happened: Despite giving up multiple goals for the first time in any match in 2026, Nashville never looked particularly threatened, showcasing their attacking chops in front of a sellout crowd at Geodis.
What we learned: Nashville's trio of Designated Players continue to build an impressive resumé, up to 29 goal contributions between them in all competitions.
Big picture: With Inter Miami's 1-1 draw against New England Revolution, Nashville find themselves three points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference with a game in hand. Doing this during a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals is almost unheard of.

Key moments

7' | Nashville nearly found an opener through Warren Madrigal, acrobatically flicking on a corner kick from Cristian Espinoza off the bar.
15' | Another golden chance for Madrigal, pouncing on a sloppy giveaway and beating Morrison Agyemang before curling his shot wide of the post.
16' | Patrick Yazbek is played into space after a quality interchange between Hany Mukhtar and Espinoza, and goes through on goal without a Charlotte defender in sight. His shot is saved by Kristijan Kahlina.
19' | Nashville finally find their breakthrough through Hany Mukhtar, who finishes off a gorgeous passing move with a simple finish after a brilliant ball from Ahmed Qasem.
25' | Qasem completes the breakout performance with a golazo, curling a finish into the side netting from the edge of the box.
42' | Charlotte pull a goal back through defender Morrison Agyemang, who finds himself completely unmarked at the back post during a set piece and beats Brian Schwake from close range with their first shot on target of the night.
60' | After a slower start to the half, Andy Nájar puts the dagger into Charlotte, shredding his defender on the turn and playing a gorgeous ball into space. Mukhtar leaves the ball on the dummy, and Sam Surridge curls in a finish first-time to mark his return from injury in style.
68' | Charlotte keep things tight through Pep Biel. The Spanish No. 10 receives the ball on the top of the box, and takes advantage of lax pressure from Nashvilel to curl an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
74' | Nashville ice the game through Surridge, who turns in a Mukhtar shot from close range to restore Nashville's two-goal lead.

Standout performers

Hany Mukhtar hasn't always put up numbers on the stats sheet for Nashville this season, but he's been excellent. Tonight, he did both. The captain was at the heart of everything Nashville did, creating several excellent chances and bagging his fourth goal of the season. He's quietly having his best 15-game start to a season since 2023.
Ahmed Qasem has slowly but surely been improving for Nashville this season, and his performance against Charlotte was one of his best. His goal was as confident a finish as you'll see this season.
After missing the last two matches, Sam Surridge picked up right where he left off. His first involvement in the match was a goal, and he added a second to ice the game for Nashville in a moment when they really needed a bit of relief. He's back on top of the Golden Boot race.

Lineup notes

After a full week off, BJ Callaghan played as close to a full-strength lineup as possible. Warren Madrigal kept his starting spot up front after suffering a shoulder injury against Atlanta, while Sam Surridge made his return to the bench after missing the last two matches with a hamstring injury.

What it means

Nashville continue to compete in multiple competitions at an elite level. They haven't lost at Geodis Park yet this season, and have won all four of their MLS matches at home. With a three-point lead on Miami and a game in hand, they're fully in the mix for the Supporters' Shield.

Up next

The 'Yotes will stay at home for Tuesday's massive match, taking on Liga MX powerhouse Tigres UNAL in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal.

Stats

Possession: NSH 62% – 38% CLT
Shots: NSH 13 – 7 CLT
Shots on goal: NSH 7 – 2 CLT
Penalty kicks: NSH 0 – 0 CLT
Goals: NSH 4 – 2 CLT
Expected goals: NSH 1.23 – 1.15 CLT
Total Passes: NSH 585 – 339 CLT
Fouls: NSH 12 – 8 CLT
Yellow cards: NSH 2 – 1 CLT
Red cards: NSH 0 – 0 CLT
Announced attendance: 30,109