Recap: Nashville Soccer Club Advances to Its First-ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final with 3-1 Win over Philadelphia Union

• Nashville SC will travel to the winner of Wednesday’s Austin FC versus Minnesota United FC Semifinal on Wednesday, Oct. 1 for the Open Cup Final
• Nashville SC has the chance to become the first professional sports team in Tennessee history to win a championship
• The Boys in Gold set club record for single season wins across all competitions with 19; defeat the same team three times in a single season for the first time
• Most Valuable Player candidate and MLS Golden Boot leader Sam Surridge registers hat trick, ties Hany Mukhtar’s club record (set in 2022) with 26 goals across all competitions in 2025

Nashville, Tenn. (Sept. 16, 2025) – Nashville Soccer Club advanced to its first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Wednesday, Oct. 1 by defeating the Philadelphia Union 3-1 Tuesday night at GEODIS Park. Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player candidate and Golden Boot leader Sam Surridge scored a hat trick, adding up to 26 goals this season across all competitions.

The Boys in Gold, who tonight advanced to their second-ever final, will learn their opponent tomorrow, Sept. 17, when Minnesota United FC hosts Austin FC in the other Semifinal. In a draw hosted after the Round of 16, it was determined that Austin or Minnesota will host the Final.

Grand slam: Nashville SC goalkeeper Brian Schwake made his fourth consecutive U.S. Open Cup start for the Boys in Gold, stopping three shots and remaining undefeated during his first season in Music City. With the victory, Schwake became the first goalkeeper in NSC history to win his first four starts with the club.

Any time, any place: Surridge, who notched a brace in his Open Cup debut during Nashville’s 5-2 Quarterfinal win over D.C. United, now has five goals in two career USOC matches and leads the team in career USOC goals with five. The Englishman’s three goal performance is the first hat trick for Nashville SC in Open Cup history.

Defenders, attack!: First year Nashville SC defender Jeisson Palacios recorded his first career U.S. Open Cup goal contribution and assist on Surridge’s 36^th minute goal. He now has two goals and two assists across all competitions this season. Fellow defender Dan Lovitz also recorded his first career Open Cup goal contribution with an assist on Surridge’s 84^th minute goal. The Philadelphia native has two goals and six assists across all competitions this season.

Next up: Nashville SC, currently at fourth place in the Eastern Conference with four regular season matches remaining, will resume MLS play when it visits sixth place Orlando City SC at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Notes:

Nashville SC:

• advanced to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final for the first time in club history
• will play at the winner of the Austin FC versus Minnesota United FC Semifinal (being played Sept. 17) in the Open Cup Final on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
• defeated a team three times in the same season for the first time in club history (3W-0L-0D versus the Union in 2025)
• is 12W-1L-2D when Sam Surridge scores this season
• improved to 8W-1L-1D all-time in U.S. Open Cup play
• improved to 6W-0L-0D in U.S. Open Cup matches at GEODIS Park
• improved to 4W-4L-3D all-time vs. the Philadelphia Union (regular season, U.S. Open Cup)
• set a new club high for most goals scored across all competitions (62)

B.J. Callaghan reaches his fourth career Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, first as a head coach

Dan Lovitz

• registered his first career U.S. Open Cup goal contribution and assist on Sam Surridge’s 84^th minute goal
• has six assists this season across all competitions

Jack Maher is tied for the team lead among Nashville SC players in USOC appearances since the club joined MLS with 10 (also, Alex Muyl)

Alex Muyl is tied for the team lead among Nashville SC players in USOC appearances since the club joined MLS with 10 (also, Jack Maher)

Jeisson Palacios

• registered his first career U.S. Open Cup goal contribution and assist on Sam Surridge’s 36^th minute goal
• has two assists this season across all competitions

Brian Schwake

• became the first goalkeeper in Nashville SC history to win his first four starts with the club
• is undefeated in goal for Nashville SC (4W-0L-0D)
• has started at goalkeeper in all four of Nashville SC’s 2025 USOC matches

Sam Surridge

• has five career goals in two career Open Cup matches (all in 2025) and leads the team in career USOC goals with five
• leads the team with 26 goals across all competitions in 2025
• 's 26 goals across all competitions are tied for most in a single season with Hany Mukhtar’s 2022 MVP season total
• has two hat tricks and eight multi-goal games this season across all competitions

Box score:

Nashville SC (4W-0L-0D in U.S. Open Cup) vs. Philadelphia Union (2W-1L-1D in U.S. Open Cup)

Sept. 16, 2025 – GEODIS Park

Final score:

NSH: 3

PHI: 1

Scoring summary:

NSH: Sam Surridge (A: Jeisson Palacios) 36’

NSH: Sam Surridge 50’

PHI: Quinn Sullivan (A: Indiana Vassilev) 70’

NSH: Sam Surridge (A: Dan Lovitz) 84’

Discipline:

PHI: Bruno Damiani (Caution) 5’

PHI: Francis Westfield (Caution) 21’

PHI: Olwethu Makhanya (Caution) 37’

PHI: Milan Illoski (Caution) 62’

PHI: Kai Wagner (Caution) 66’

NSH: Dan Lovitz (Caution) 75’

NSH: Hany Mukhtar (Caution) 77’

Lineups:

NSH starters: Brian Schwake; Dan Lovitz, Jeisson Palacios, Jack Maher, Andy Najar; Alex Muyl (Josh Bauer 76’), Patrick Yazbek, Eddi Tagseth, Hany Mukhtar (C) (Teal Bunbury 86’); Ahmed Qasem (Jacob Shaffelburg 46’), Sam Surridge (Matthew Corcoran 90’)

Substitutes: Xavier Valdez, Chris Applewhite,Gastón Brugman, Matthew Corcoran

PHI starters: Andrew Rick; Jakob Glesnes (C), Olwethu Makhanya, Kai Wagner, Francis Westfield; Milan Iloski (Mikael Uhre 63’), Danley Jean Jacques, Jovan Lukic, Indiana Vassilev (Sal Olivas 86’); Tai Baribo (Jeremy Rafanello 86’), Bruno Damiani (Quinn Sullivan 63’)

Substitutes: George Marks, Nathan Harriel, Alejandro Bedoya, Jeremy Rafanello, Sal Olivas

Match officials:

Referee: Victor Rivas

AR1: Chris Elliott

AR2: Jeffrey Greeson

4TH: Natalie Simon

VAR: Greg Dopka

AVAR: Michael Kampmeinert

Weather: 76 and mostly cloudy

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