NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 21, 2024) – Nashville Soccer Club earned a 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati at GEODIS Park on Fan Appreciation night Saturday to remain within one point of the ninth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Forward Sam Surridge netted a brace with goals in the fifth and 25th minutes, including connecting with midfielder Hany Mukhtar for the pair's third shared goal contribution in the team's last three matches. Midfielder Jonathan Pérez, who made his first start for Nashville SC, and defender Taylor Washington also registered assists.
One for the (record) books: Surridge became just the third Nashville SC player to score double digit goals in a single MLS regular season after recording his second brace and third multi-goal match of 2024, joining Mukhtar (three times) and C.J. Sapong.
He did it again: Mukhtar extended his point streak to three matches (one goal, two assists) when he assisted on Surridge's second tally. The duo has connected six times in league play for a goal, all with Surridge as the scorer. Mukhtar leads the team with nine assists and 15 goal contributions in MLS this season.
Trifecta: The Boys in Gold started three under-23 players for the first time in club history with midfielders Pérez and Patrick Yazbek and defender Julian Gaines all making the starting eleven. It was Gaines’ and Pérez’s first career starts for Nashville SC.
Next up: Nashville SC will travel to Gillette Stadium to face the New England Revolution for the second and final time this regular season (and third time across all competitions) on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Notes:
Nashville SC:
- extended its record in the Man in Black kit, which the club was wearing for the final time at home in regular season play, to 6W-7L-4D all-time (all competitions) and to 3W-0L-2D all-time (all competitions)
- started three under-23 players for the first time in club history (Julian Gaines, Jonathan Pérez, Patrick Yazbek)
- is 3W-2L-4D all-time vs. FC Cincinnati
- is 40W-33L-38D all-time vs. Eastern Conference opponents
- is 9W-2L-11D all-time in the month of September
- is 21W-7L-12D all-time on weekends
- is 48W-8L-22D all-time when scoring first
- is 37W-4L-14D all-time when leading at half
Julian Gaines made his first start as a Boy in Gold
Hany Mukhtar
- extended his point streak to three matches (one goal, two assists) when he assisted on Sam Surridge’s 25th minute goal
- leads Nashville SC with nine regular season assists and 15 goal contributions
Alex Muyl leads the team with 30 MLS games played
Jonathan Pérez made his first start as a Boy in Gold and registered his first goal contribution with Nashville SC when he assisted on Sam Surridge’s goal in the fifth minute
Sam Surridge
- became the third Nashville SC player to score double digit goals in a single MLS regular season (Hany Mukhtar three times, C.J. Sapong)
- extended his point streak to three matches (three goals, one assist) with his team leading 10th and 11th MLS goals
- recorded his second brace (also June 19 at Toronto FC) and third multi-goal game of the MLS season (hat trick versus CF Montréal May 4)
- leads the team with 10 regular season goals and 13 across all competitions
- has registered three multi-goal matches this season, all sporting the Man in Black kit (May 4, 2024; June 19, 2024; Sept. 21, 2024)
Taylor Washington
- logged his second goal contribution of the season when he assisted on Sam Surridge’s goal in the 5th minute
- registered his second goal contribution sporting the Man in Black kit since it was introduced in 2023 (goal March 11, 2023; assist Sept. 21, 2024)
- is the only player to have played against FC Cincinnati with Nashville SC in both the USL Championship and MLS
Joe Willis recorded three saves
Walker Zimmerman led the team tonight with 92% passing accuracy (minimum 27 passes) and three clearances
Box score:
Nashville SC (8W-13L-9D) vs. FC Cincinnati (17W-8L-5D)
Sept. 21, 2024 – GEODIS Park
Final score:
NSH: 2
CIN: 2
Scoring summary:
NSH: Sam Surridge (A: Taylor Washington, Jonathan Pérez) 5’
CIN: Luciano Acosta (A: Luca Orellano, Sergio Santos) 9’
NSH: Sam Surridge (A: Hany Mukhtar) 25’
CIN: Luca Orellano (Unassisted) 52’
Discipline:
CIN: Chidozie Awaziem (Caution) 19’
NSH: Sam Surridge (Caution) 41’
CIN: Ian Murphy (Caution) 74’
NSH: Aníbal Godoy (Caution) 75’
CIN: DeAndre Yedlin (Caution) 79’
NSH: Dan Lovitz (Caution) 90’
CIN: Teenage Hadebe (Caution) 90’ + 1
Lineups:
NSH starters: Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz, Josh Bauer, Taylor Washington (Brent Kallman 87’), Walker Zimmerman (C), Julian Gaines (Shaq Moore 87’); Hany Mukhtar, Patrick Yazbek (Alex Muyl 72’), Jonathan Pérez (Teal Bunbury 62’), Tah Brian Anunga (AnÍbal Godoy 72’); Sam Surridge
Substitutes: Elliot Panicco, Amar Sejdić, Forster Ajago, Sean Davis
CIN starters: Roman Celentano; Chidozie Awaziem, Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy (Teenage Hadebe 86’); Obinna Nwobodo, Yuya Kubo, Luciano Acosta (C), Luca Orellano, Yamil Asad (DeAndre Yedlin 55’); Nicholas Gioacchini (Gerardo Valenzuela 86’), Sergio Santos (Kevin Kelsy 67’)
Substitutes: Evan Louro, Alvas Powell, Corey Baird, Kipp Keller, Malik Pinto
Match officials:
Referee: Sergii Demianchuk
AR1: Kyle Atkins
AR2: Ben Pilgrim
4TH: Benjamin Meyer
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
AVAR: TJ Zablocki
Weather: 82 degrees and clear
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