Nashville SC Extends MLS Unbeaten Streak to Seven with 3-2 Win over LAFC
MLS Nashville SC

Nashville SC Extends MLS Unbeaten Streak to Seven with 3-2 Win over LAFC

Published on May 18, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nashville Soccer Club extended its MLS unbeaten streak to seven (5W-0L-2D) and moved into first place in MLS with its 3-2 win over LAFC at GEODIS Park Sunday night.

Hany Mukhtar opened the scoring in the 13 th minute when he converted a give-and-go with Warren Madrigal and netted a brace for his 100 th career Nashville SC goal just eight minutes later on a long-range free kick to double the lead. Mukhtar completed his fifth career NSC hat trick with a second free kick goal in the 59 th minute.

Captain century: With his fifth career Nashville SC hat trick, captain Hany Muktar has 101 goals across all competitions since joining the Boys in Gold as the club's first Designated Player for its inaugural MLS season in 2020.

Home cooking: Nashville SC, which is 5W-0L-1D in the regular season at GEODIS Park in 2026 while outscoring opponents 21-8, is the only team unbeaten at home through MLS Matchday 14.

Can't stop the heat: First year Boy in Gold Warren Madrigal has three goals and one assist in his last three matches and has the third most MLS goal contributions on the team this season with nine (five goals, four assists).

Next up: Nashville SC will play its final match before Major League Soccer's World Cup schedule pause (May 25 to July 16) when it hosts New York City Football Club at GEODIS Park on Saturday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. CT for API Heritage Night.

Notes:

Nashville SC:

o is in first place in MLS at 9W-1L-3D and 30 points

o is unbeaten in seven-straight MLS matches at 5W-0L-2D

o is unbeaten in 18 of 21 matches this season across all competitions (MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup)

o is 12W-3L-6D across all competitions this season

o is 5W-0L-1D at GEODIS Park in MLS this season

o is outscoring opponents 21-8 at home in MLS this season

o is outscoring opponents 29-10 in MLS and 38-13 across all competitions this season

o is 2W-2L-1D all-time vs. Los Angeles FC

Hany Mukhtar

o recorded his fifth career Nashville SC hat trick (has six MLS goals this season)

o has 101 career goals for Nashville SC across all competitions

o is the seventh player in MLS history with at least five regular season hat tricks

o earned Man of the Match honors

Andy Najar did not dress due to a lower body injury

Brian Schwake made an MLS career high seven saves

Sam Surridge did not dress due to a back injury

Eddi Tagseth did not dress due to a lower body injury

Warren Madrigal recorded his fourth MLS assist of the season; has goal contributions in three-straight matches

Patrick Yazbek did not dress due to a quad injury

Box score:

Nashville SC (9W-1L-3D) vs. Los Angeles FC (6W-5L-3D)

May 17, 2026 - GEODIS Park

Final score:

NSH: 3

LAFC: 2

Scoring Summary:

NSH: Hany Mukhtar (A: Warren Madrigal) 13'

NSH: Hany Mukhtar 21'

LAFC: David Martinez (A: Denis Bouanga, Timothy Tillman) 22'

NSH: Hany Mukhtar 59'

LAFC: Denis Bouanga (A: Son Heung-Min) 68'

Discipline:

LAFC: Ryan Porteous (Caution) 58'

NSH: Ahmed Qasem (Caution) 67'

NSH: Reed Baker-Whiting (Caution) 88'

NSH: Bryan Acosta (Caution) 90' + 7

Lineups:

NSH starters: Brian Schwake; Dan Lovitz, Maxwell Woledzi, Jeisson Palacios, Reed Baker-Whiting (Josh Bauer 90' + 1); Bryan Acosta, Matthew Corcoran, Ahmed Qasem (Alex Muyl 71'); Hany Mukhtar (C), Warren Madrigal (Woobens Pacius 81'), Cristian Espinoza (Shak Mohammed 90' + 1)

Substitutes: Joe Willis, Jack Maher, Charles-Emile Brunet, Thomas Williams, Jordan Knight

LAFC starters: Thomas Hasal; Eddie Segura (C) (Artem Smoliakov 81'), Ryan Porteous, Ryan Hollingshead, Nkosi Tafari; Timothy Tillman (Nathan Ordaz 81'), Stephen Eustaquio, Mathieu Choiniere (Mark Delgado 70'); Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-min; David Martinez (Tyler Boyd 70')

Substitutes: Cabral Carter, Jeremy Ebobisse, Ryan Raposo, Jude Terry, Aaron Long

Match officials:

Referee: Rubiel Vazquez

AR1: Corey Rockwell

AR2: Jeffrey Swartzel

4TH: Gerald Flores

VAR: Daniel Radford

AVAR: Jonathan Johnson

Weather: 88 degrees and clear skies

Check out the Nashville SC Statistics

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 18, 2026


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