Nashville SC Blanks Orlando City SC 5-0 to Remain Unbeaten
Published on March 21, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 21, 2026) - Nashville Soccer Club continued its historic start Saturday night at GEODIS Park when it shut out Orlando City SC 5-0 to remain unbeaten this season. Cristian Espinoza scored less than five minutes into the match to put the Boys in Gold on top and Sam Surridge converted Nashville SC's first penalty kick of the season in the 28th minute to double the lead before adding two second half tallies for a hat trick and his third multi-goal game of 2026. Warren Madrigal buried the final goal in the 80th minute and Brian Schwake made one save for his third MLS shutout in five starts.
Super Sam does not bobble it: Sam Surridge recorded his fourth MLS hat trick and his 12th regular season multi-goal match Saturday night. He is now level with Hany Mukhtar for most hat tricks in Nashville SC regular season history and his seven goals lead MLS.
Lucky number 14: Brian Schwake is now 11W-0L-3D in his first 14 starts in goal for Nashville SC and has six shutouts in nine starts across all competitions this season. The first-year starter has allowed just nine goals in his initial 14 appearances.
His 125th Espi-cial: Cristian Espinoza's fifth-minute goal was his 125th career MLS goal contribution (regular season and playoffs). Espinoza has recorded a goal contribution in three consecutive matches (two goals, two assists).
Next up: Nashville SC will be idle until Saturday, April 4 at Chicago Fire FC due to the FIFA March International match window.
Notes:
Nashville SC:
is currently first in the Eastern Conference
is unbeaten in its first nine matches for the first time in club history (6W-0L-3D)
is 4W-0L-1D in MLS for the first time in club history
has scored 13 goals through its first five MLS matches for the first time in club history
is unbeaten at home this season (4W-0L-1D overall, 3W-0L-0D MLS)
is outscoring opponents 21-3 in 2026 (all competitions)
is 6W-7L-5D all-time vs. Orlando City SC
tied its largest single match margin of victory (+5, last 4/26/25 vs. Chicago Fire FC)
Reed Baker-Whiting made his first MLS start with Nashville SC
Cristian Espinoza
scored his second MLS goal of the season and third across all competitions
recorded his third MLS assist and fourth across all competitions this season
now has 126 career MLS goal contributions (regular season + playoffs)
has goal contributions in three-straight matches (two goals, two assists)
Dan Lovitz made his 300th career MLS regular season appearance when he subbed in at the 78th minute
Warren Madrigal scored his second goal of the season and has four goal contributions in five MLS matches this season
Andy Najar recorded his second assist of the season and has assists in back-to-back MLS matches
Jeisson Palacios recorded his first assist and goal contribution of the season
Sam Surridge
scored his first hat trick of the season and leads MLS with seven goals
has three multi-goal games this season
earned Man of the Match honors
Brian Schwake
made one save and is unbeaten in his first 14 starts in goal for Nashville SC at 11W-0L-3D
has six shutouts in nine starts this season (all competitions)
Eddi Tagseth recorded his first assist and goal contribution of the season
Box score:
Nashville SC (4W-0L-1D) vs. Orlando City SC (1W-4L-0D)
March 21, 2026 - GEODIS Park
Final score:
NSH: 5
ORL: 0
Scoring Summary:
NSH: Cristian Espinoza (A: Andy Najar, Eddi Tagseth) 5'
NSH: Sam Surridge (Penalty Kick) 28'
NSH: Sam Surridge 55'
NSH: Sam Surridge (A: Cristian Espinoza, Jeisson Palacios) 67'
NSH: Warren Madrigal 80'
Discipline:
ORL: Nolan Miller (Caution) 26'
ORL: Iago Teodoro (Caution) 73'
NSH: Andy Najar (Caution) 83'
Lineups:
NSH starters: Brian Schwake; Reed Baker-Whiting (Dan Lovitz 78'), Maxwell Woledzi, Jeisson Palacios, Andy Najar; Patrick Yazbek (Matthew Corcoran 68'), Eddi Tagseth, Alex Muyl (Ahmed Qasem 60'); Cristian Espinoza (Warren Madrigal 68'), Hany Mukhtar (C), Sam Surridge (Woobens Pacius 78')
Substitutes: Joe Willis, Jack Maher, Bryan Acosta, Josh Bauer
ORL starters: Maxime Crépeau; Adrian Marin (Zakaria Taifi 59'), Nolan Miller, Iago Teodoro, Griffin Dorsey (Yutaro Tsukada 72'); Luis Otavio (Colin Guske 46'), Braian Ojeda, Ivan Angulo, Marco Pasalic; Martin Ojeda (C), Duncan McGuire (Tiago Souza 59')
Substitutes: Javier Otero, Justin Ellis, Harvey Sarajian, Tahir Reid-Brown, Dylan Judelson
Match officials:
Referee: Victor Rivas
AR1: Jeffrey Swartzel
AR2: Walt Heatherly
4TH: Sergii Demianchuk
VAR: Kevin Stott
AVAR: Claudiu Bedea
Weather: 87 degrees and sunny
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