- The Boys in Gold will face Inter Miami CF in the 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 series at dates and times to be announced tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 19
- Nashville SC’s forward Sam Surridge sets new club record for goals in a single Major League Soccer season with 24 on an assist from previous record holder Hany Mukhtar
- Mukhtar becomes the first player in MLS history to record at least 80 goals and 60 assists in a six-season span (82 goals, 60 assists)
Nashville, Tenn. (Oct. 18, 2025) – Nashville Soccer Club concluded its 2025 Major League Soccer in sixth place in the Eastern Conference despite a 5-2 loss to third-place Inter Miami CF Saturday at GEODIS Park. The Boys in Gold will now face Miami once again in the 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 series at a date and time to be announced tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 19.
The designated player duo of Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar combined for an eighth goal this season as Surridge scored his club-record 24th MLS tally to tie the score at one in the 43rd minute. Jacob Shaffelburg followed with his career-high fourth goal of the season in added time to give Nashville the 2-1 lead before halftime.
Miami’s Lionel Messi converted a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to level the match followed by Baltsar Rodriguez in the 67thminute. Messi recorded a hat trick in the 81st minute and Telasco Segovia secured the win for the Herons with their fifth goal in the 90th + 1 minute.
No record’s safe: By assisting on Surridge’s goal, 2022 MVP and Golden Boot winner Mukhtar became the first player in MLS history to record at least 80 goals and 60 assists during a six-season span (82 goals, 60 assists).
Two become one: With Surridge’s goal, he and Mukhtar became the seventh pair of teammates in MLS history to combine for at least 40 goals in a single season (Surridge 24, Mukhtar 16).
New heights for Jacob: Nashville SC midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg, who on Wednesday welcomed his second child with wife Robyne, set a career-high for his most goals in a single MLS regular season when he netted his fourth tally of 2025 in the 45th + 1stminute.
Next up: Nashville SC will make its fifth Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearance in its first six seasons when it faces Inter Miami CF in a Best-of-3 series at dates and times to be announced Sunday, Oct. 19.
Notes:
Nashville SC:
- finished the regular season sixth in the Eastern Conference and will face Inter Miami CF in the 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 series
- Is 4W-7L-5D all-time against MIA (MLS Regular Season and Playoffs, Concacaf Champions Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup)
- is 3W-2L-3D all-time against MIA at GEODIS Park and Nissan Stadium (MLS Regular Season and Playoffs, Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup)
- is 3W-2L-1D all-time on MLS Decision Day
- is 74W-64L-63D all-time (regular season + playoffs)
- is 45W-21L-33D all-time at home (regular season + playoffs)
- is 54W-46L-45D all-time against Eastern Conference opponents (regular season + playoffs)
- is 50W-51L-51D all-time on weekends (regular season + playoffs)
- is 41W-41L-38D all-time on Saturdays (regular season + playoffs)
- is 7W-10L-10D all-time during October (regular season)
Jordan Knight dressed for a Nashville SC and MLS match for the first time in his career
Hany Mukhtar
- became the first player in MLS history to record at least 80 goals and 60 assists in a six-season span (82 goals, 60 assists)
- recorded his career-high and team-leading 12th regular season assist on Surridge’s 43rd minute goal
- started all 34 of the team’s MLS regular season matches for the first time in his career
- led the match with 100% passing accuracy (minimum 27 passes completed)
Jonathan Pérez did not dress due to a thigh injury
Ahmed Qasem did not dress due to an ankle injury
Jacob Shaffelburg set a new career-high for regular season goals with four and matched his goal contribution high of six when he scored in the 45’ + 6th minute
Sam Surridge
- set a new Nashville SC record for most MLS goals in a single season when he scored his 24th in the 43rd minute
- is tied with Bradley Wright-Philips for the second-most MLS regular season goals in a single regular season by a UK-born player
- leads the team in MLS goal contributions this season with 29 (24 goals, five assists)
- was voted Nashville SC Man of the Match
Eddi Tagseth led the match in distance covered with 7.02 miles
Box score:
Nashville SC (16W-12L-6D) vs. Inter Miami CF (19W-7L-6D)
Oct. 18, 2025 – GEODIS Park
Final score:
NSH: 2
MIA: 5
Scoring summary:
MIA: Lionel Messi (A: Jordi Alba) 34’
NSH: Sam Surridge (A: Hany Mukhtar) 43’
NSH: Jacob Shaffelburg 45’ + 6’
MIA: Lionel Messi (Penalty Kick) 63’
MIA: Baltasar Rodriguez 67’
MIA: Lionel Messi (A: Ian Fray) 81’
MIA: Telasco Segovia (Lionel Messi, Ian Fray) 90’ + 1’
Discipline:
MIA: Tadeo Allende (Caution) 22’
NSH: Hany Mukhtar (Caution) 64’
MIA: Rodrigo De Paul (Caution) 68’
Lineups:
NSH starters: Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz, Jack Maher, Walker Zimmerman (C), Andy Najar; Patrick Yazbek (Gastón Brugman 73’), Hany Mukhtar (Teal Bunbury 88’), Jacob Shaffelburg (Tyler Boyd 56’), Alex Muyl (Josh Bauer 73’), Eddi Tagseth (Bryan Acosta 88’); Sam Surridge
Substitutes: Brian Schwake, Tate Schmitt, Jeisson Palacios, Jordan Knight
MIA starters: Rocco Rios-Novo; Gonzalo Lujan (Telasco Segovia 64’), Jordi Alba, Maximiliano Falcon, Marcelo Weigandt (Ian Fray 64’); Sergio Busquets, Rodrigo De Paul (Tomas Aviles 83’), Lionel Messi (C), Baltasar Rodriguez (Yannick Bright 73’), Tadeo Allende; Luis Suarez
Substitutes: Oscar Ustari, William Yarbrough, Fafa Picault, Ryan Sailor, Noah Allen
Match officials:
Referee: Jon Freemon
AR1: Ian McKay
AR2: Nick Balcer
4TH: Ricardo Fierro
VAR: Ramy Touchan
AVAR: Tom Supple
Weather: 82 and mostly cloudy
