Nashville SC will kick off their 2026 campaign in just 43 days when they take on Atlético Ottowa on February 17. The team will head to Florida for their preseason training camp early next week, getting the start-of-season preparations fully underway.
With little time until Nashville's season begins in earnest, we're taking a look at the biggest questions facing the club in BJ Callaghan's second full season in charge.
1 – Can Sam Surridge keep scoring?
With 31 goals in all competitions last season, Sam Surridge had a career-best year, and one of the best seasons in recent MLS memory. His 24 regular-season goals are the eighth most in a single season since 2013.
It wasn't a fluke, either. The underlying numbers back it up. Surridge's 0.79 expected goals per 96 minutes played are the seventh-highest since 2013, per American Soccer Analysis. He finished with the seventh-most xG per 96 minutes among strikers in 2024, and the second-most in 2025. He consistently gets into fantastic positions in front of goal, in a system designed to create high-value chances for the striker.
