Nashville SC Notes: 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Round One
MLS Nashville SC

Nashville SC Notes: 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Round One

Published on October 22, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Champion and sixth-seeded Nashville Soccer Club will make its fifth Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearance in six seasons when it visits third-seeded Inter Miami CF Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. CT to begin its Round One Eastern Conference Best-of-3 series. Friday's fixture marks the return of postseason action to Music City after a year hiatus in which neither the Tennessee Titans (NFL), nor the Nashville Predators (NHL) or NSC reached the playoffs.

The Boys in Gold have played the Herons 16 times across five competitions (MLS regular season and playoffs, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup) since both joined MLS in 2020, making Miami the only club NSC has faced in every competition in which it has participated and its second most frequent opponent behind Orlando City SC (17). The Boys in Gold are 4W-7L-5D all-time versus the South Florida side, including 1W-0L-0D in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and 3W-2L-3D against Miami in Music City (Nissan Stadium, GEODIS Park).

Nashville SC is 3W-4L-1D all-time in the playoffs and recorded a 3-0 shutout victory over Miami in its first-ever playoff match on Nov. 20, 2020 to become the second expansion team in MLS history to win a postseason fixture.

In its first-ever playoffs appearance, Nashville SC's MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Huntsville City Football Club defeated Chattanooga FC 2-0 on Sunday, Oct. 19 to advance to the MLS NEXT Pro Cup Eastern Conference Semifinal where it will visit either New York Red Bulls II or Philadelphia Union II at a date and time to be announced later this week.

MEDIA NOTES:

Nashville SC

set club records this season for:

wins across all competitions (21)

MLS regular season wins (16)

MLS home wins (11)

longest unbeaten streak across all competitions (15 matches)

longest MLS unbeaten streak (12 matches)

single-season goals across all competitions (72)

single-season MLS goals (58)

finished the 2025 MLS regular season sixth in the Eastern Conference (16W-12L-6D, 54 points)

ended the regular season with the second-most expected goals (xG) in MLS with 70.47 behind league-leading VAN (76.15)

owns the seventh-best goal differential in MLS this season at +13 behind MIN (+17), PHI (+22), SD (+23), LAFC (+25), MIA (+26) and league-leading VAN (+28)

conceded the seventh-fewest goals in MLS this season with 45 (also ATX) behind NYC and TOR (44), SD (41), CIN and LAFC (40), MIN (39), VAN (38) and league-leading PHI (35)

is the only team in MLS to have two players register at least 23 goal contributions apiece and rank in the top 10 in scoring this season: Sam Surridge (seventh with 24 goals, 5 assists) and Hany Mukhtar (eighth with 16 goals, 12 assists)

has the fourth-most MLS goal contributions by defenders this season with 31 behind CHI (34), MIN (37) and league-leading MIA (38)

is 3W-4L-1D all-time in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs

defeated MIA 3-0 in the Play-In Round of the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs

is 4W-7L-5D all-time against MIA (MLS Regular Season and Playoffs, Concacaf Champions Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup)

is 1W-5L-2D all-time against MIA on the road (MLS Regular Season and Playoffs, Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup)

is 74W-64L-63D all-time (regular season + playoffs)

is 29W-43L-30D all-time on the road (regular season + playoffs)

is 7W-9L-3D on the road across all competitions this season (MLS + Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup)

is 54W-46L-45D all-time against Eastern Conference opponents (regular season + playoffs)

is 24W-12L-12D all-time on weekdays (regular season + playoffs)

is 2W-2L-1D all-time on Fridays (regular season + playoffs)

is 7W-10L-10D all-time during October (regular season + playoffs)

Bryan Acosta has one goal in one career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearance (2019) as a member of DAL

Gastón Brugman

was named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player following five appearances and one assist during LA's 2024 Audi MLS Cup championship run

has two assists in seven career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances (2022, 2024) as a member of LA

Teal Bunbury

leads the team with six career goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in 25 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances (2011-15, 2019-23), two with SKC (two goals), four with NE (two goals, two assists)

won the Audi MLS Cup with Sporting Kansas City in 2013

scored against MIA as a member of NE on July 21, 2021

Dan Lovitz

logged an assist during Nashville's 3-1 win over ORL during Round One of the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Nov. 23

is one of four players to appear in all eight of Nashville SC's Audi MLS Cup Playoffs matches (also, Hany Mukhtar, Joe Willis, Walker Zimmerman)

is the only Nashville SC player to start all 11 of the club's regular season matches against MIA

Jack Maher

has made four career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances (2021-23)

leads the team and ended the season third in MLS with 92.7% passing accuracy (minimum 1,600 passes completed) behind Edwin Cerrillo of LA (93%) and league-leading Maya Yoshida of LA (93.1%)

Hany Mukhtar

leads the team in career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs goals (4) and goal contributions (4)

is one of four players to appear in all eight of Nashville SC's Audi MLS Cup Playoffs matches (also, Dan Lovitz, Joe Willis, Walker Zimmerman)

has nine career goal contributions (five goals, four assists) against MIA across all competitions

has appeared in all 11 of Nashville SC's regular season matches against MIA (nine starts)

ended the regular season second on the team and eighth in MLS with 28 goal contributions (16 goals, 12 assists)

ended the regular season third in MLS with 63 shots on target behind Lionel Messi of MIA (71) and league-leading Denis Bouanga of LAFC (73)

ended the regular season fourth in MLS with 125 shots behind Cristian Arango of SJ (126), Denis Bouanga of LAFC (150) and league-leading Lionel Messi of MIA (157)

ended the regular season sixth in MLS with 19.69 expected goals (xG) behind MIA's Lionel Messi (20.35), CHI's Hugo Cuypers (21.17), LAFC's Denis Bouanga (21.92), NYC's Alonso Martinez (23.03), and teammate Sam Surridge (25.53)

leads the team and is fifth in MLS this season in total distance covered with 235.77 miles behind Jeppe Tverskov of SD (235.79 miles), Alhassan Yusuf of NE (237.00 miles), Anders Dreyer of SD (240.16 miles), and league-leading Marcel Hartel of STL (258.01 miles)

Alex Muyl

recorded an assist during Nashville SC's 3-0 win against MIA during the Play-In Round of the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Nov. 20

has three goal contributions (one goal, two assists) in fifteen career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances (2016-23), two with RBNY (one goal, one assist) and one with Nashville SC

has two career regular season assists against MIA, both with Nashville SC

has appeared in all 11 of Nashville SC's regular season matches against MIA (seven starts)

Andy Najar

has made one Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearance (2012) as a member of DC

has one career regular season assist against MIA with Nashville SC

ended the regular season tied with Andrew Gutman of CHI for the third-most assists by a defender with 10 behind Kai Wagner of PHI (11) and league-leading Jordi Alba of MIA (15)

ended the regular season with the third-most goal contributions by a defender with 12 (two goals, 10 assists) behind Andrew Gutman of CHI and Kai Wagner of PHI with 13 and league-leading Jordi Alba of MIA with 21

Tate Schmitt has made two career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances (2022-23), one as a member of RSL (2022) and one with HOU (2023)

Jacob Shaffleburg

has made three career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances (2022-23), all with Nashville SC

recorded his first career brace during Nashville SC's 2-2 draw against MIA on March 7, 2024 during the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16

set a new single-season career high for regular season goals with four and matched his single-season goal contribution high of six with his tally on Oct. 18 vs. MIA

Sam Surridge

has made two career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances (2023)

ended the regular season tied with LAFC's Denis Bouanga for the second-most goals scored in MLS with 24 behind 2025 Golden Boot winner MIA's Lionel Messi with 29 goals

scored his 24th MLS goal of the season and 30th across all competitions on MLS Decision Day (Oct. 18) against MIA

set a new Nashville SC record for most single season goals in MLS (24) and across all competitions (30)

tied Bradley Wright-Philips for the second-most MLS regular season goals in a single season by a UK-born player (24)

ended the MLS regular season leading the team and seventh in MLS in goal contributions with 29 (24 goals, five assists) behind league-leading Lionel Messi of MIA (48)

ended the regular season leading MLS with 25.53 expected goals (xG)

ended the regular season tied with Denis Bouanga of LAFC for the most MLS hat tricks with two

has three career goal contributions (two goals, one assist) against MIA across all competitions

Joe Willis

has recorded two clean sheets in 13 career Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances, both with Nashville SC (2020)

is one of four players to appear in all eight of Nashville SC's Audi MLS Cup Playoffs matches (also, Hany Mukhtar, Dan Lovitz, Walker Zimmerman)

recorded a shutout during Nashville's 3-0 win over MIA on Nov. 20, 2020 during the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs

has three clean sheets and a 1.47 goals against average (GAA) in 10 career regular season appearances against MIA, all with Nashville SC

ended the regular season tied for the fifth-most shutouts in MLS with 9 (also, Brad Stuver of ATX) behind league-leading Yohei Takaoka of VAN with 13

ended the season with the sixth-lowest GAA in MLS at 1.32 with Brad Stuver of ATX and Sean Johnson of TOR behind C.J. dos Santos of SD (1.27), Roman Celentano of CIN (1.20), Yohei Takaoka of VAN (1.12), Hugo Lloris of LAFC (1.08) and league-leading Dayne St. Clair of MIN (1.00) (minimum 30 games played)

ended the regular season with the third-most wins in MLS with 16 behind Hugo Lloris of LAFC, C.J. dos Santos of SD and Roman Celentano of CIN with 17 and league-leading Yohei Takaoka of VAN and Kristijan Kahlina of CLT with 18

Patrick Yazbek has one career regular season assist against MIA with Nashville

Walker Zimmerman

scored during the 2015 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs against SEA on Nov. 8 as a member of DAL

is one of four players to appear in all eight of Nashville SC's Audi MLS Cup Playoffs matches (also, Hany Mukhtar, Dan Lovitz, Joe Willis)

has made 17 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances, six as a member of DAL (2014-16), three with LAFC (2019), and eight with Nashville SC (2020-23)

scored during Nashville SC's 5-1 win against MIA on Sept. 22, 2021

Check out the Nashville SC Statistics

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