Nashville SC vs. Orlando City SC
MLS Regular Season | Matchday 35
Saturday, Sep 20, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Inter&Co Stadium | Orlando, FL
Broadcast Details
Watch | MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Listen | 104.5 The Zone
After its dominant 3-1 win in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Tuesday night, Nashville SC returns to league play this weekend at Orlando City SC. The Boys in Gold (50 points) sit fourth in the Eastern Conference having played one more game than Orlando (48 points) and can secure their spot in the postseason with a win or if New York Red Bulls lose/draw Saturday evening.
Key Storylines
More Than a Playoff Spot at Stake
Nashville’s previous chance to clinch a playoff berth didn’t go to plan. Despite New York Red Bulls losing 2-1 to Portland Timbers, the Boys in Gold were stunned in the final minute of stoppage time in a 2-1 defeat at FC Cincinnati, forcing them to wait a week for another opportunity. Except it isn’t just a playoff spot on offer — there’s also the chance to host.
The top four teams in each conference’s standings at the end of the regular season are given home-field advantage for at least the quarterfinal round of the playoffs, with the better seed hosting as the tournament continues. With Nashville currently sitting in fourth, just two points ahead of eighth-placed Orlando and having played a game more than most teams below it, a win Saturday is paramount for more than its postseason safety. It’s also a potential advantage during Nashville’s postseason run.
Lacing the Golden Boot
Like many races, the winner of this year’s MLS Golden Boot may well be the player with the strongest kick down the home stretch. And with 21 goals to his name, four games to play and the current scoring lead, Nashville’s Sam Surridge looks as poised as anyone to cross the finish line in first. The talismanic Englishman has been on a tear as of late, scoring twice in Nashville’s 5-1 win against Orlando in August, once in its loss to Cincinnati and three times in Tuesday’s Open Cup semifinal win against Philadelphia.
Even so, Surridge faces stiff competition for the Golden Boot. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi sits on 20 goals in second place with three fewer games played, followed closely by LAFC’s Denis Bouanga with 19 goals in third place. Whoever wins the scoring title will need a barnstorming end to the season, and Surridge’s recent run — plus whatever he may net against Orlando — suggests he may just be the one to do it.
Chasing a Clean Sheet
Attacking has not been a problem for Nashville this season, with a one-two punch of Surridge and Most Valuable Player hopeful Hany Mukhtar bagging goals in bucketfuls. Neither has defending, with The Boys in Gold sitting sixth in MLS in goal differential and fourth in number of clean sheets. But while larger trends are positive, Nashville’s slip from a comfortable top-four place in the league has coincided with a run of six games without a shutout. Orlando has scored the joint second-most goals in MLS this season and is unbeaten in five of its last six matches, providing both a stern test to Nashville’s back line and a perfect time for it to return to form.
Series History + What’s Next
Nashville has played Orlando more than any other team since joining MLS. The two teams have been evenly matched through 16 previous meetings in all competitions, with a record of 5W-6L-5D for the Boys in Gold. Nashville has had Orlando’s number this season, however, winning the previous league fixture and Open Cup quarterfinal by an aggregate score of 8-3.
Nashville enjoys a full week of rest after Saturday’s match — the team’s third game in eight days — before returning to GEODIS Park on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. CT for its penultimate home game against Houston Dynamo.
NSH vs HOU
Saturday, Sep. 27 at 7:30 p.m. CT | GEODIS Park
- Nashville SC faces Houston Dynamo
- Join us in celebrating and honoring the Hispanic Heritage of our local communities with special entertainment and activations throughout Hispanic Heritage Night.
