Six Nashville Soccer Club Players Competing Internationally During October FIFA Break

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 6, 2025) – 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champions Nashville Soccer Club will, for the third straight international window, have six players competing on the international stage during the October FIFA break taking place from the 6^th to the 14^th.

• For the second straight window, homegrown defender Chris Applewhite will represent the U.S. Under-19 Men’s squad at its training camp in Marbella, Spain. The 18-year-old made his National Team debut with the U-19 squad during the Sept. window after becoming the first-ever Nashville SC homegrown player and youngest player to start for the Boys Gold in any competition on May 6 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and first homegrown player and youngest player to start a Major League Soccer match for the club on May 17 against D.C. United. Applewhite was also a training camp player with the U.S. U-20 team last month in the lead up to the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025™.
• In September, midfielder Matthew Corcoran was named to the U-20 Men’s National Team roster currently competing in the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025™ taking place Sept. 27 to Oct. 19 in Chile. Corcoran appeared in all three of the United States’ Group Stage matches (one start) and registered two assists while helping the team win the Group and advance to the Round of 16 versus Italy on Oct. 9 at 2:30 p.m. CT. Joining Corcoran in Chile is Nashville SC Academy U15 Head Coach Jason Batty who is serving as an Assistant for the U-20’s.
• Defender Andy Najar will represent the Federación de Fútbol de Honduras in the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualifiers against Costa Rica in San Pedro Sula, Honduras (Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. CT) and Haiti in Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés, Honduras (Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. CT). Najar has appeared 61 times for the Honduran National Team, logging five goals and two assists.
• Midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg will represent Canada Soccer in international friendlies against teammate Patrick Yazbek and Australia in Montreal (Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. CT) and Colombia in Harrison, N.J. (Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. CT). Shaffelburg has appeared for Canada 28 times with eight starts, six goals and one assist.
• Midfielder Patrick Yazbek will represent Football Australia’s Men’s National Team in international friendlies against Canada and Shaffelburg and versus the United States in Commerce City, Colo. Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. CT. Yazbek has six caps and one assist with the Socceroos, including its FIFA World Cup 2026™ clinching qualifying win over Saudi Arabia in June.
• Goalkeeper Xavier Valdez will represent Federación Dominicana de Fútbol in an international friendly against Uruguay Oct. 10 at 7:45 a.m. CT in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Valdez has 18 caps across all competitions with the Dominican Republic, registering eight clean sheets.

Nashville SC will conclude its regular season after the break when it hosts Inter Miami CF at GEODIS Park at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 18 for MLS Decision Day and Fan Appreciation Day presented by GEODIS. Last month, the Boys in Gold qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in six MLS seasons.