Nashville SC Clinches Playoffs Berth; Defeat Houston Dynamo FC, 3-1
MLS Nashville SC

Nashville SC Clinches Playoffs Berth; Defeat Houston Dynamo FC, 3-1

Published on September 27, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release


Nashville, TN - 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 th minute 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

POST-MATCH QUOTES FROM NASHVILLE SOCCER CLUB VS. HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

HEAD COACH B.J. CALLAGHAN

(On tonight's win and clinching playoffs berth) "Obviously clinching the playoffs is a big milestone for us. It's a steppingstone here for us to achieve the things that we've set out for. [I'm ] just really proud of the club, for the fans of Nashville, and the players in the locker room. The y're the ones that go out there every night and do it. As for the game, I thought we started out with the intensity that we wanted. I thought we were able to put Houston under pressure early and then obviously the red card sort of changes the dynamic of the game. I was proud of the group to continue to stay aggressive with the ball. A couple of halftime adjustments came in - credit to the coaching staff with that one, really good adjustments at halftime. The players responded great and I think it was a professional second half."

DEFENDER ANDY NAJAR

(On his goal tonight) "[I'm] very happy to help my team with the result, scoring goals, assisting. That's why I'm here. Let's hope we continue in the same way and I'm very happy with the two points."

(On how halftime adjustments affected the game) "I think in the f irst half we were more kicking the ball, you know, side to side. We didn't change one side to the other very quickly. I think that was the change we made in the second half. You guys saw that we scored two quick goals and that was the turning point."

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