Nashville SC at Atlético Ottawa
Concacaf Champions Cup | Round One
Tuesday, February 17 | 7 p.m. CT
Hamilton Stadium | Hamilton, ON
Broadcast Details
Watch | FS2, ConcacafGO, OneSoccer, TUDN
After more than three months away, Nashville SC is back in action this week, heading up to Ontario for the first leg of its first-round matchup against reigning Canadian Premier League champions Atlético Ottawa in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The Boys in Gold return to the intracontinental competition after a one-year hiatus due to their victory in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, looking to improve on their Round of 16 exit in 2024.
Key Storylines
New faces, new system
Head coach B.J. Callaghan opted for an offseason of change after the most successful campaign in Nashville’s history. Key players like Walker Zimmerman and Jacob Shaffelburg made their way out of the club, replaced in the transfer market by talented young defender Maxwell Woledzi and two-time MLS All-Star Cristian Espinoza. Rotational pieces Tyler Boyd and Teal Bunbury were swapped for Costa Rican forward Warren Madrigal and Haitian forward Woobens Pacius, the latter returning from a successful loan spell with USL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies. U.S. Open Cup hero Brian Schwake all but secured his spot as the club’s new first-choice goalkeeper in place of veteran Joe Willis. That’s not to mention MLS Super Draft pick Charles-Emile Brunet, midfielder Shakur Mohammed or defenders Isaiah LeFlore and Thomas Williams, who also joined Nashville’s ranks this winter.
With more new faces at the club than many seasons past, how exactly the Boys in Gold will shape up in 2026 is unknown. But what is certain Is that this rendition of Nashville — in Callaghan’s third season — is its most youthful and most tactically cohesive to date. As much as it is a Champions Cup opener, Tuesday will also be our first proper look at the Boys in Gold this year, how they hope to play and what they hope to do.
A poetic return to the continent
It’s been nearly two years since Nashville last took the continental stage. The Boys in Gold qualified for and competed in both of North America’s most prestigious international competitions in 2024 — the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup — but enjoyed short journeys in each, exiting in the Round of 16 and group stage, respectfully, after reaching and hosting the Leagues Cup Final in 2023. Nashville narrowly missed the MLS Cup Playoffs cutoff that season, meaning 2025 would be a campaign fought exclusively on domestic soil.
That proved to be a blessing for the Boys in Gold, who set club records for wins and goals scored in 2025, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference with a golden boot runner-up. The highlight, however, was Nashville’s 2-1 triumph in the U.S. Open Cup Final last October, which secured its spot in both continental competitions once again. With a refreshed, deeper roster, a stellar 2025 in its pocket and cup-winning experience across the team, the Boys in Gold return to the continent with their eyes on all available prizes — and the bona-fides to achieve them.
The cherry on top? Should Nashville advance past Ottawa, it will play conference rival Inter Miami CF — the team responsible for its 2025 MLS Cup, 2024 Champions Cup and 2023 Leagues Cup exits. How sweet that revenge would taste.
Series History + What's Next
Tuesday's match will be the first-ever between Nashville and Ottawa, as well as Nashville’s first meeting with a team from the Canadian Premier League.
The Boys in Gold travel home after Tuesday’s match in preparation for their MLS regular-season opener against the New England Revolution at GEODIS Park, scheduled for Saturday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT.
