Nashville SC Loses 3-2 at Orlando City SC
MLS Nashville SC

Nashville SC Loses 3-2 at Orlando City SC

Published on September 20, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release


Orlando, Fla. - Nashville Soccer Club dropped a 3-2 road decision at Orlando City SC Saturday night. After going down 2-0, Most Valuable Player candidate Hany Mukhtar cut the Orlando lead in half with his 15th goal of the season in the final seconds of the first half. Midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg, a second half substitute, scored in the 51st minute from defender Dan Lovitz and forward Sam Surridge to even the match at two before Orlando secured the game winner during added time.

Leaders of the pack: With their goal contributions, Mukhtar (15 goals, 11 assists) and Surridge (21 goals, five assists) kept pace with San Diego FC's Anders Dreyer (15 goals, 18 assists) and Chucky Lozano (nine goals, 10 assists) for the MLS lead in contributions by two teammates this season with 52.

Gotta' Lovitz: Lovitz made his 300th career MLS appearance Saturday night (292 regular season, eight playoffs). The 12-year veteran, who registered an assist on Nashville's second tally, has a career high in goal contributions this season with eight (two goals, six assists).

Next up: Nashville SC will host Houston Dynamo FC at GEODIS Park in the first meeting between the clubs since 2022 on Saturday, Sept. 27 for Hispanic Heritage Night presented by Heineken.

Notes:

Nashville SC:

faced ORL for the 17th time Saturday, the most matches it has played against a single club across all competitions

is 5W-7L-5D all-time vs. ORL across all competitions (regular season + playoffs + U.S. Open Cup)

is 73W-63L-62D all-time (regular season + playoffs)

is 29W-43L-29D all-time on the road (regular season + playoffs)

is 54W-45L-44D all-time against Eastern Conference opponents (regular season + playoffs)

is 49W-51L-50D all-time on weekends (regular season + playoffs)

is 40W-40L-37D all-time on Saturdays (regular season + playoffs)

is 9W-5L-11D all-time during September (regular season)

Dan Lovitz

made his 300th career MLS appearance (regular season and playoffs)

tied his career high for MLS assists in a single season with six on Jacob Shaffelburg's 51st minute goal and set a new career high for single season MLS goal contributions with eight

Hany Mukhtar

scored his 15th goal of the season

has five goal contributions in two matches versus Orlando this season (three goals, two assists)

has 17 goal contributions in 16 career matches versus Orlando across all competitions (10 goals, seven assists)

is tied with Sam Surridge for the team lead in MLS goal contributions this season with 26 (15 goals, 11 assists)

Jonathan Pérez did not dress due to a thigh injury

Ahmed Qasem did not dress due to an ankle injury

Jacob Shaffelburg

tied his career high for MLS goals in a single season with three when he scored in the 51st minute

has three goal contributions in two matches versus Orlando this season (one goal, two assists)

earned Nashville SC Man of the Match honors

Sam Surridge

recorded his career high fifth MLS assist of the season on Jacob Shaffelburg's 51st minute goal

has three goal contributions in two matches versus Orlando this season (two goals, one assist)

is tied with Hany Mukhtar for the team lead in MLS goal contributions this season with 26 (21 goals, five assists)

Joe Willis made three saves

Walker Zimmerman did not dress due to a knee injury

Box score:

Nashville SC (15W-11L-5D) at Orlando City SC (14W-7L-9D)

Sept. 20, 2025 - Inter&Co Stadium

Final score:

NSH: 2

ORL: 3

Scoring summary:

ORL: Martin Ojeda 30'

ORL: Martin Ojeda (A: Kyle Smith, Luis Muriel) 32'

NSH: Hany Mukhtar 45' + 1

NSH: Jacob Shaffelburg (A: Dan Lovitz, Sam Surridge) 51'

ORL: Duncan McGuire (A: Tyrese Spicer) 90' + 5

Discipline:

ORL: Rodrigo Schlegel (Caution) 22'

NSH: Hany Mukhtar (Caution) 28'

NSH: Eddi Tagseth (Caution) 29'

NSH: Jacob Shaffelburg (Caution) 90' + 3

Lineups:

NSH starters: Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz (Tate Schmitt 90' + 1), Jeisson Palacios (Josh Bauer 77'), Jack Maher, Andy Najar; Gastón Brugman (Matthew Corcoran 77'), Patrick Yazbek (Jacob Shaffelburg 46'), Hany Mukhtar (C), Alex Muyl, Eddi Tagseth (Bryan Acosta 86'); Sam Surridge

Substitutes: Brian Schwake, Tyler Boyd, Teal Bunbury, Chris Applewhite

ORL starters: Pedro Gallese; David Brekalo (Dagur Thorhallsson 86'), Robin Jansson (C), Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman; Eduard Atuesta, Kyle Smith (Colin Guske 86'), Ivan Angulo (Tyrese Spicer 73'), Marco Pasalic; Luis Muriel (Duncan McGuire 63'), Martin Ojeda

Substitutes: Javier Otero, Nicolas Rodriguez, Tahir Reid-Brown, Thomas Williams, Favian Loyola

Match officials:

Referee: Pierre Luc-Lauziere

AR1: Cory Richardson

AR2: Jason White

4TH: Luis Diego Arroyo

VAR: Ramy Touchan

AVAR: Fabio Tovar

Weather: 82 degrees and clear

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 20, 2025


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