Renasant Recap: Nashville Soccer Club Remains Unbeaten with 1-0 Win at Columbus Crew

• The Boys in Gold are off to their best MLS start in club history at 3W-0L-1D; are unbeaten in all competitions at 5W-0L-2D 

• Hany Mukhtar scores 25,000th regular season goal in MLS history during second half added time to secure the victory  

• Goalkeeper Brian Schwake is unbeaten in his first 12 starts for Nashville SC (10W-0L-2D), records fifth shutout in seven matches this season

COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 14, 2026) – Nashville Soccer Club is 3W-0L-1D in MLS for the first time in team history and unbeaten across all competitions this season (5W-0L-2D) after defeating the Columbus Crew 1-0 Saturday night. Hany Mukhtar scored the game-winning and 25,000th regular season goal in MLS history during second half added time from Cristian Espinoza and Andy Najar.  

More Mukhtar magic: Hany Mukhtar recorded Major League Soccer’s 25,000th regular season goal and his 150th MLS career goal contribution (regular season + playoffs) in the 90 + 4th minute. Mukhtar leads all active players in career MLS goal contributions.  

Another block(y) in the brick wall: With Saturday night's win, Brian Schwake is 10W-0L-2D (all competitions) in his first 12 starts in goal for the Boys in Gold. Only one other goalkeeper in MLS history--Jorge Campos for the LA Galaxy in 1996--has gone unbeaten in his first 12 starts.   

Stay fresh: Five Boys in Gold made their first MLS starts of 2026 Saturday night: defenders Josh Bauer and Jack Maher, midfielder Bryan Acosta, and forwards Woobens Pacius and Ahmed Qasem. Nashville SC is in the midst of five matches in 15 days including league and Concacaf Champions Cup play.   

Next up: Nashville SC will visit Inter Miami CF for the second and decisive leg of its Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 series (tied 0-0 on aggregate) on Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. CT. 

Notes:            

Nashville SC:        

• has won five of its first seven matches for the first time in club history 
• is 3W-0L-1D in MLS for the first time in club history 
• is outscoring opponents 15-2 in 2026 
• has five clean sheets in seven matches this season 
• won at Columbus for the first time since 2022 
• is 4W-4L-4D all-time vs. the Columbus Crew (regular season + playoffs)

Bryan Acosta made his first MLS start of the season  

Josh Bauer made his first MLS start of the season  

Cristian Espinoza recorded his 85th MLS regular season assist and third overall this season (two MLS, one Concacaf Champions Cup)  

Jack Maher made his first MLS start of the season and served as team captain in an MLS match for the first time in his career  

Hany Mukhtar  

• scored the 25,000th MLS regular season goal and recorded his 150th career MLS goal contribution (regular season + playoffs)  
• earned Man of the Match honors

Andy Najar recorded his first assist of the season  

Woobens Pacius made his first career MLS start  

Ahmed Qasem made his first MLS start of the season  

Brian Schwake made two saves and is unbeaten in his first 12 starts for Nashville SC at 10W-0L-2D 

Box score:                   

Nashville SC (3W-0L-1D) at Columbus Crew (0W-2L-2D) 

March 14, 2026 – ScottsMiracle-Gro Field 

Final score:                  

NSH: 1 

CLB: 0 

Scoring Summary:  

NSH: Hany Mukhtar (A: Cristian Espinoza, Andy Najar) 90’ + 4 

Discipline: 

NSH: Jack Maher (Caution) 10’  

NSH: Ahmed Qasem (Caution) 41’  

NSH: Woobens Pacius (Caution) 42’  

CLB: Malte Amundsen (Caution) 51’ 

NSH: Josh Bauer (Caution) 72’  

NSH: Andy Najar (Caution) 87’  

Lineups:  

NSH starters: Brian Schwake; Dan Lovitz, Maxwell Woledzi, Jack Maher (C), Josh Bauer (Andy Najar 77’); Bryan Acosta (Patrick Yazbek 61’), Alex Muyl, Eddi Tagseth; Woobens Pacius (Sam Surridge 46’), Warren Madrigal (Cristian Espinoza 67’), Ahmed Qasem (Hany Mukhtar 46’) 

Substitutes: Joe Willis, Jeisson Palacios, Cristian Espinoza, Matthew Corcoran, Jordan Knight 

CLB starters: Patrick Schulte; Rudy Camacho, Steven Moreira; Andre Gomes (Dylan Chambost 64’), Sean Zawadzki (C), Andres Herrera, Taha Habroune (Jamal Thiare 77’), Malte Amundsen, Max Arfsten (Hugo Picard 88’); Wessam Abou Ali, Diego Rossi  

Substitutes: Nicholas Hagen, Daniel Gazdag, Amar Sejdic, Sekou Bangoura, Yevhen Cheberko, Nariman Akhundzada 

Match officials:            

Referee: Fotis Bazakos 

AR1:  Brian Dunn 

AR2: Justin Howard 

4TH: Elvis Osmanovic 

VAR: Edvin Jurisevic 

AVAR: Jonathan Johnson  

Weather: 48 degrees and cloudy