Rapid Review: Nashville SC rallies from two down, stuns Red Bull New York to confirm unbeaten regular season at home

Incredible. Indomitable. And now, invincible. 

Nashville SC’s home record in 2026 has been nothing short of sensational. Heading into Sunday’s regular-season home finale against Red Bull New York, the Boys in Gold had won 14 and drawn just two of their 16 matches at GEODIS Park this season, trailing just twice in the process. And while they were made to overcome a deficit this time around, the same mental resolve and abundance of quality that propelled Nashville to a Supporters’ Shield title shone through, handing it a hard-fought, chaotic, dramatic 3-2 win which confirmed an unbeaten regular season in Music City.

Nashville’s comeback started on the cusp of halftime through a piece of magic by Andy Najar, who fizzed a ball across goal from the right flank that Red Bull defender Tim Parker bungled into his own net. That was the first of many dangerous attacking moments for the hosts from there onward, who reversed Red Bull’s early dominance into a scintillating second-half rally.

Hany Mukhtar thought he leveled proceedings with a smart low-driven finish after the restart before an offside call waved it off. Another chance went begging for the captain minutes later as he headed narrowly over the bar from close range. Reed Baker-Whiting almost connected on a gorgeous, curled shot with his right foot from the side of the box, only to be denied by the bar. Sam Surridge was denied an equalizer by the offside whistle after pinging a shot one-time into the bottom corner. Maxwell Woledzi came perhaps closest of them all just before the 70-minute mark, as he connected with a looping ball near the goalmouth which bounced off the post and eventually away from danger. Cristian Espinoza rattled it soon after. 

On another night, these missed chances might’ve cost Nashville its unbeaten record. But as it turned out, Sunday was not just any night — and if the Boys in Gold couldn’t find the finishing touch, Red Bull would find it for them. 

Like Najar did for Nashville’s first goal, Espinoza fizzed a pass across the box searching for a teammate. And like that first goal, it bounced off a New York defender and past goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, sending GEODIS Park into delirium. The score was originally called off for an offside violation, before a lengthy VAR review overturned the call and handed the Boys in Gold their much-deserved equalizer. 

An Espinoza corner kick just after the board was raised to announce eight minutes of stoppage time found Surridge’s head for a timely winner. The ensuing reaction from the crowd and jubilant Nashville bench almost exactly mirrored that of August’s 3-2 comeback against Columbus — another victory which will live long in Music City folklore.

It wasn’t always so exciting for the hosts, though. Red Bull has long been known for its idiosyncratic style of play: press high on defense and overwhelm in transition, making the most of its energetic runners to punish teams on the counter. And while Nashville’s defense has more than enough stamina and physicality to stand up to this sort of game plan, it found itself trailing for just the third time this season at home. 

The first half was particularly effective for Red Bull. The young offensive duo of Cade Cowell and Julian Hall forced Brian Schwake, Woledzi and Jeisson Palacios into several athletic blocks across the first half, often in transition. Espinoza, Elias Saad, Baker-Whiting and Najar had to be defensively astute on the wings, too, as New York’s wide players flooded in to offer outlets for the central forwards. The visitors struck twice in seven minutes to seize an improbable lead on the cusp of halftime, once through a Hall breakaway and again through a Cowell assist across goal. 

That should not diminish some excellent individual defensive contributions, however. The best among them arrived just after Cowell received the ball on the edge of Nashville’s box, fell under a challenge and earned a penalty kick on 19 minutes. The American stepped up and swung his laces through the ball but the Boys in Gold’s goalie read it expertly, splaying out to his right to deflect the shot to safety.

This wasn’t an outlier for the U.S. international this season, either. Schwake also secured a vital penalty save in April’s 2-1 win at Charlotte and a spot-kick stop against Lionel Messi in Nashville’s 4-1 win against Miami in August. No player has more penalty saves than Schwake in 2026, who also leads the league in save percentage and clean sheets. 

Nashville takes six days off before returning for its final match of the regular season, a Decision Day clash Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati.

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