Nashville SC's 10-match unbeaten run in MLS came to an end on Saturday night, falling 1-0 to Orlando City at Inter&Co Stadium.
The vibe check (TL;DR)
- What happened: As has been the case since the return to play, Nashville looked generally flat and disjointed in attack, while holding their own defensively. After increasing pressure, Orlando took the lead with barely 15 minutes left to play, and despite improved urgency after going behind, they only managed two shots to close the game.
- What we learned: It was a third-straight underwhelming performance from Nashville, who have looked concerningly flat in attack since the World Cup break. They're certainly dealing with injuries and rustiness, but they look like a very different team now to the one that ended the first portion of the season as the clear best team in the league.
- Big picture: It's not a disaster by any means for Nashville, who, despite less than ideal showings against Atlanta and Montréal, managed to earn six points from those two matches. They still have a two-point lead over Inter Miami in the Supporters' Shield race, and have a clear track record of being able to play at a high level. They can't afford to take their time getting back to their pre-World Cup form, though.
Key moments
- 28' | Antoine Griezmann looks to get his first home goal in Orlando colors, but he thrashes his shot wide into the side netting.
- 42' | Andy Nájar picks up the ball on the right side of the box, and shows tremendous patience before nutmegging a defender and playing Alex Muyl through on goal, but his shot is blocked.
- 63' | Another fantastic direct ball from Nájar and a dummy from Hany Mukhtar leads to the ball falling perfectly at the feet of Shak Mohammed, who puts his shot straight at Maxime Crépeau.
- 67' | Another golden chance falls to the feet of Ahmed Qasem after more fantastic distribution from Nájar. He slashes a volley bound for goal, but Brayan Ojeda gets in a crucial block to deflect the ball into the side netting.
- 72' | Tyrese Spicer finds the breakthrough for Orlando, receiving a ball on the left side of the box, ghosting past Jack Maher, and smashing a low shot under both Maxwell Woledzi and Brian Schwake.
- 90+2' | Another chance falls to Qasem, this time on the left side of the box, but he takes an extra touch and sees the chance go missing.
Standout performers
- Maxwell Woledzi was a rock defensively, and his ability to carry the ball through pressure sparked several of Nashville's best moments going forward.
- Andy Nájar reminded everyone how crucial he is to this team. His playmaking ability (Apple TV analyst Dax McCarty called him a No. 10 at right back) is irreplaceable, and virtually everything good Nashville did originated with him.
- Eddi Tagseth was a needed spark off the bench, and he got involved in and around the box much more often than what is typical for him.
Lineup notes
Nashville continued their rotation in their third match in seven days. Josh Bauer slotted in for Dan Lovitz at left back, Jack Maher replaced Jeisson Palacios, and Bryan Acosta came into midfield in place of Eddi Tagseth.
Cristian Espinoza, Warren Madrigal, and Reed Baker-Whiting missed out with their continued unspecified injuries, while Elias Saad continues to wait on his visa to take the field.
What it means
In the grand scheme of things, a single loss doesn't sound the alarm bells for Nashville. But three flat performances in a row, combined with no real transparency around issues to key players, has been a jarring contrast to their form before the World Cup.
In three matches since returning to play, Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar have combined for 20 touches in the penalty area and six shots from open play. You can't win games without your best players getting the ball in dangerous areas and producing.
— Ben Wright (@benwright.bsky.social) July 25, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Nashville will have two weeks between MLS matches, during which they'll play their Leagues Cup group matches. This is a crucial stretch for them to rediscover some sort of attacking rhythm heading into the final portion of the MLS regular season.
Up next
Nashville have a week before their next match, heading to the nation's capital to take on DC United next Saturday.
Stats
Possession: ORL 48% – 52% NSH
Shots: ORL 12 – 7 NSH
Shots on goal: ORL 4 – 2 NSH
Penalty kicks: ORL 0 – 0 NSH
Goals: ORL 1 – 0 NSH
Expected goals: ORL 0.90 – 1.13 NSH
Total Passes: ORL 400 – 421 NSH
Fouls: ORL 8 – 10 NSH
Yellow cards: ORL 1 – 0 NSH
Red cards: ORL 0 – 0 NSH
Deserved win (per Futi): ORL 36% – 26% NSH
