Match Recap: Nashville Soccer Club Advances to Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals

• The Boys in Gold eliminate Inter Miami CF with 1-1 draw and reach the Champions Cup Quarterfinal Round for the first time in team history; will face the winner of the Philadelphia Union vs. Club América Round of 16 series  
• Nashville SC is unbeaten in its first eight matches (5W-0L-3D all competitions) for the first time in club history 
• Midfielder Cristian Espinoza scores game-tying and series-winning goal, earns Concacaf Champions Cup Player of the Match honors

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (March 18, 2026) – Nashville Soccer Club advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinal Round for the first time after earning a 1-1 draw against Inter Miami CF Wednesday night in South Florida. The primary tiebreaker for each Concacaf Champions Cup home and away series is away goals scored. The Boys in Gold entered the series even at zero with the Herons after Leg One and needed either a win or any draw other than 0-0 to advance. Cristian Espinoza scored the game-tying and series-winning goal in the second half. 

Start strong, stay strong: Nashville SC is unbeaten through eight matches (5W-0L-3D all competitions) for the first time in club history. The Boys in Gold have outscored opponents 16-3 this season. 

Schwake makes history: Nashville SC’s Brian Schwake is now 10W-0L-3D in his first 13 starts for the Boys in Gold. No other goalkeeper in MLS history has gone unbeaten in their first 13 starts with a club.  

One (midfield) shining moment: Midfielder Cristian Espinoza’s series-winning goal in the 74th minute was his first career Concacaf Champions Cup goal, his second goal across all competitions for Nashville SC and his fifth goal contribution this season.  

Next up: Nashville SC will conclude a stretch of five matches in 15 days when it hosts Orlando City SC at GEODIS Park in MLS play for Sam Surridge Bobblehead Night presented by Renasant on Saturday, March 21 at 5 p.m. CT. 

Notes:            

Nashville SC:        

• advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals for the first time in club history 
• is unbeaten in its first eight matches of a season for the first time in club history (5W-0L-3D)  
• is 4W-1L-3D all-time in the Concacaf Champions Cup 
• is outscoring opponents 8-1 in Champions Cup this season 
• is outscoring opponents 16-3 in 2026 
• knocked Inter Miami CF out of an elimination tournament for the first time since Nov. 20, 2020 (Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs)

Cristian Espinoza  

• scored his second goal of the season and his first ever in Concacaf Champions Cup 
• earned Concacaf Champions Cup Player of the Match honors

Brian Schwake  

• is unbeaten in his first 13 starts for Nashville SC at 10W-0L-3D 
• made a season-high five saves

Box score:                   

Nashville SC (2W-0L-2D in Concacaf Champions Cup) vs. Inter Miami CF (0W-0L-2D in Concacaf Champions Cup) 

March 18, 2026 – Inter Miami CF Stadium   

Final score:                  

NSH: 1 

MIA: 1 

Scoring Summary: 

MIA: Lionel Messi (A: Sergio Reguilón) 7’ 

NSH: Cristian Espinoza 74’  

Discipline: 

MIA: Gonzalo Lujan (Caution) 38’ 

Lineups:  

NSH starters: Brian Schwake; Dan Lovitz (Reed Baker-Whiting 58’), Jeisson Palacios, Maxwell Woledzi, Andy Najar (Josh Bauer 86’); Matthew Corcoran (Eddi Tagseth 71’), Cristian Espinoza, Patrick Yazbek; Hany Mukhtar (C) (Bryan Acosta 85’), Warren Madrigal (Alex Muyl 58’), Sam Surridge  

Substitutes: Joe Willis, Xavier Valdez, Jack Maher, Woobens Pacius, Thomas Williams, Jordan Knight, Ahmed Qasem 

MIA starters: Dayne St. Clair; Gonzalo Lujan, Sergio Reguilón (Noah Allen 40’), Facundo Mura (Luis Suarez 78’), Micael Dos Santos; Rodrigo De Paul, Telasco Segovia (Mateo Silvetti 61), Yannick Bright (David Ayala, 78’); Lionel Messi (C), German Berterame, Tadeo Allende  

Substitutes: Luis Barraza, Rocco Rios-Novo, Ian Fray, Santiago Morales, David Ruiz-Ochoa, Daniel Pinter, Cesar Abadia-Reda, Alex Shaw 

Match officials:            

Referee: Adonai Escobedo 

AR1: Michel Espinoza 

AR2: Leonardo Castillo 

4TH: Daniel Quintero 

VAR: Enrique Santander 

AVAR: Oscar Macias 

Weather: 65 degrees and rainy

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