Nashville SC vs. Columbus Crew
2026 MLS Regular Season | Matchday 22
Saturday, August 22 | 7:30 p.m. CT
GEODIS Park | Nashville, TN
Nashville SC vs Columbus Crew
Saturday, Aug. 22 at GEODIS Park | 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast Details
Watch | Apple TV
Listen | 104.5 The Zone
Nashville SC returns to GEODIS Park Saturday evening for its third match in seven days, looking to bolster its lead atop the Supporters’ Shield table with a win against Columbus Crew. The Boys in Gold set the pace in MLS by seven points and won the reverse fixture against Columbus earlier this year, a last-gasp 1-0 victory in the Buckeye State.
Key Storylines
Dynamic duo, part 2?
March’s match with Columbus was one of the more dramatic Nashville has played this season. Jammed between a pair of games against Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16, the Boys in Gold made the trek north with a much-rotated XI, carrying just three players over from their 0-0 draw in leg one. For 93 minutes, it looked like their trip to Ohio would offer a duplicate result: Nashville’s rigid defensive shape meant it surrendered almost no opportunities but struggled to exert its own offensive influence, with the teams combining for just five shots on target and 0.64 expected goals, per FotMob. But as the clock ticked into a fourth minute of stoppage, the Boys in Gold found their chance to strike.
After a bungled clearance by Columbus, Eddi Tagseth slid a pass to Cristian Espinoza on the edge of the 18, who laid the ball off to Andy Najar. The Argentine ghosted just inside the box as Najar threaded him in, cutting back onto his favored right foot to drop his defender before exploding toward the touchline and slicing a pass across goal. Hany Mukhtar pounced, slotting home to stun the three-time MLS Cup champions at the game’s final breath.
Looking back, it seems almost obvious that the Boys in Gold would find a way through that game. This is a team that has been characterized by grit and hard-fought results all year. Espinoza’s equalizer at Miami four days after the Columbus match secured Nashville’s spot in the Champions Cup quarterfinals. His assist to Mukhtar at Estadio Azteca in April then secured its place in the semifinals. That’s not to mention a decisive goal at Atlanta and a game-winning assist at Red Bull New York for Espinoza, or a hat trick and brace, respectively, against LAFC and Miami for Mukhtar.
As the Boys in Gold look to secure a season sweep against their Eastern Conference rival for the first time in club history, it seems likely as ever that their pair of Designated Players may be the reason why. They already did so once. And if they do again, a series of milestones await: Mukhtar’s 200th regular-season appearance, a potential MLS assist lead for Espinoza and the best points tally in league history.
Injury-riddled, transfer-ravaged and resilient
Columbus and Nashville have taken almost perpendicular courses since their meeting this spring. As the Boys in Gold have rocketed into the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield leads, the Crew have slipped from the conference peloton to its caboose. Columbus sits just two points clear of 15th place in the East through 20 games played, having failed to win four of its last five.
A big contributor to this has been the loss of its three best attacking players to injury or the transfer market: Diego Rossi made way to Monterrey, Max Arfsten headed to Middlesbrough in the English second-tier and Wessam Abou-Ali is out for the season with a torn ACL. The Crew turned to longtime Atlanta United standout Josef Martinez at striker this summer to claw back some of the firepower they lost. But this is indisputably a thinner unit than it was this spring, one Nashville’s league-leading defense looks more than capable of handling.
Take this with a bucketful of salt, though. Although Columbus’ offense is weaker, its midfield and defense are robust. Several ex-European starters litter the Crew’s roster to provide veteran pedigree — former Manchester United center back Eric Bailly and Everton defensive midfielder Andre Gomes chief among them — in addition to esteemed international players like Steven Moreira, fresh off a magical FIFA World Cup run with Cabo Verde. Daniel Gazdag, one of the club’s Designated Players, has been a consistent performer for years. That’s not to mention the club’s resilience and high standard of play in Leagues Cup, either, where it emerged as one of the four best MLS teams and booked its spot in the quarterfinals.
So while Nashville holds the upper hand in league form, home form and star power across the pitch, particularly with its smattering of lethal attackers, Columbus still has the potential to surprise. MLS is also a notoriously tricky league to build consistency in due to roster rules and frequent shock results. The Boys in Gold have been better at navigating that than any team in 2026 by a wide margin, but like they did in March, they may have to dig deep if they hope to stun the Crew again.
Series History & What’s Next
Nashville and Columbus have enjoyed a relatively even history with one another. The Boys in Gold lead the all-time series with four wins to three and 13 goals to 12, and are undefeated in their last three matches against the Crew dating back to 2025. Mukhtar holds the series record with nine goal contributions in 11 games.
The Boys in Gold will enjoy their first full week of rest in what feels like eons upon the conclusion of Saturday’s match, taking a well-deserved period to recuperate and prepare for a rivalry clash with FC Cincinnati on August 29 at GEODIS Park.
