Renasant Recap: Nashville Soccer Club Clinches Playoffs Berth; Defeats Houston Dynamo FC 3-1

• The Boys in Gold qualify for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in the club’s first six Major League Soccer seasons; become ninth team in MLS history to clinch playoff berth in five of its first six seasons
• Nashville sets new win records in a single season for regular season (16), all competition (20), and regular season home (11)
• Most Valuable Player candidate and MLS Golden Boot contender Sam Surridge sets new club record for goals in a single season across all competitions with 27
• Defender of the Year candidate Andy Najar scores his second goal of the season, sets new career high for MLS goal contributions with 12

Nashville, Tenn. (Sept. 27, 2025) – Nashville Soccer Club clinched an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth for the fifth time in its first six Major League Soccer seasons while defeating Houston Dynamo FC 3-1 at GEODIS Park Saturday night.

Most Valuable Player candidate Hany Mukhtar started the scoring two minutes into the match on an assist from midfielder Alex Muyl. Fellow MVP candidate and Golden Boot contender Sam Surridge gave Nashville a 2-1 lead in the 48^th minute from defender Dan Lovitz and midfielder Eddi Tagseth followed by Defender of the Year candidate Andy Najar doubling NSC’s margin just two minutes later.

Sustained success: By clinching a playoff spot Saturday night, Nashville SC became the ninth team in MLS history to qualify for the postseason in five of its first six seasons.

He’s number one: With his 22^nd MLS goal of the season, Surridge set a new Nashville SC record for goals in a single season across all competitions (previously held by Mukhtar with 26 in 2022) with 27 (MLS, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup). The Boys in Gold are 13W-1L-2D this season when the Englishman finds the back of the net.

Making his case: In his eighth MLS season, first year Boy in Gold and MLS Defender of the Year candidate Najar set a career high for MLS goal contributions in a single season with 12 (two goals, 10 assists) when he scored Saturday night.

Next up: Nashville SC will appear in its first ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at Austin FC on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. CT. With a win, the Boys in Gold will become the first team in Tennessee history to win a major professional sports championship.

Notes:

Nashville SC:

• qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in its first six seasons
• won its 16^th regular season match for the first time in club history
• won its 20^th match across all competitions for the first time in club history
• won its 11^th regular season home match for the first time in club history
• is 13W-1L-2D this season across all competitions when Sam Surridge scores
• improved to 2W-2L-1D all-time vs. HOU (regular season)
• improved to 1W-1L-1D all-time vs. HOU at home
• is 74W-63L-62D all-time (regular season + playoffs)
• is 45W-20L-33D all-time at home (regular season + playoffs)
• is 20W-18L-18D all-time against Western Conference opponents (regular season + playoffs)
• is 50W-50L-50D all-time on weekends (regular season + playoffs)
• is 41W-40L-37D all-time on Saturdays (regular season + playoffs)
• is 10W-5L-11D all-time during September (regular season)
• scored in the first three minutes of each half for the first time in club history
• matched its most regular season goals in a single season with 55 (set in 2021)

Dan Lovitz recorded his career-high seventh MLS assist and ninth MLS goal contribution of the season on Surridge’s 48^thminute goal

Hany Mukhtar

• scored his 16^th goal of the season
• matched his career high for regular season starts with 32 (also 2022)
• is tied with Sam Surridge for the team lead in MLS goal contributions this season with 27 (16 goals, 11 assists)

Alex Muyl recorded his fourth assist of the season on Mukhtar’s 2^nd minute goal

Andy Najar scored his second MLS goal of the season and set a new single-season career high for MLS goal contributions with 12 (two goals, 10 assists)

Ethan O’Brien was called up from Nashville SC’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Huntsville City Football Club for the match

Jonathan Pérez did not dress due to a thigh injury

Ahmed Qasem did not dress due to an ankle injury

Sam Surridge

• scored his 22nd MLS goal of the season and set a new club record for goals in a single season across all competitions with 27
• is tied with Hany Mukhtar for the team lead in MLS goal contributions this season with 27 (22 goals, five assists)

Eddi Tagseth recorded his fourth assist of the season on Surridge's 48^th minute goal

Joe Willis recorded his career-high 16^th MLS win of the season

Box score:

Nashville SC (16W-11L-5D) vs. Houston Dynamo FC (9W-13L-9D)

Sept. 27, 2025 – GEODIS Park

Final score:

NSH: 3

HOU: 1

Scoring summary:

NSH: Hany Mukhtar (A: Alex Muyl) 2’

HOU: Junior Urso (A: Lawrence Ennali) 40’

NSH: Sam Surridge (A: Dan Lovitz, Eddi Tagseth) 48’

NSH: Andy Najar 50’

Discipline:

HOU: Erik Sviatchenko (Ejection) 9’

NSH: Andy Najar (Caution) 13’

NSH: Patrick Yazbek (Caution) 38’

Lineups:

NSH starters: Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz, Jeisson Palacios, Jack Maher, Andy Najar (Josh Bauer 57’); Patrick Yazbek (Bryan Acosta 57’), Hany Mukhtar (C) (Tyler Boyd 76’), Jacob Shaffelburg (Walker Zimmerman 87’), Alex Muyl, Eddi Tagseth; Sam Surridge (Teal Bunbury 76’)

Substitutes: Brian Schwake, Tate Schmitt, Gastón Brugman, Ethan O’Brien

HOU starters: Jonathan Bond; Ethan Bartlow (Sergio Santos 84’), Griffin Dorsey, Erik Sviatchenko, Felipe Andrade; Artur (C) (Sebastian Kowalczyk 84’), Ondrej Lingr (Femi Awodesu 15’), Lawrence Ennali, Jack McGlynn, Junior Urso (Amine Bassi 69’); Ezequiel Ponce (Duane Holmes 69’)

Substitutes: Jimmy Maurer, Antonio Carlos, Gabe Segal, Diadie Samassekou

Match officials:

Referee: Sergii Boiko

AR1: Adam Wienckowski

AR2: Stepehen McGonagle

4TH: Sergii Demianchuk

VAR: Joshua Patlak

AVAR: Fabio Tovar

Weather: 76 degrees and clear

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