MLS: Nashville SC dismantles Orlando City 5-0

Ronan Briscoe
2 hours ago
3 min read

NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com

It was a picturesque spring Saturday evening in the Music City that saw Nashville SC continue to fly high in a 5-0 demolition of Orlando City SC at GEODIS Park. On his bobblehead night, current Golden Boot leader Sam Surridge treated the fans to a hat trick. It was the Englishman’s 14th multi-goal game in Gold, and his fifth hat trick in all competitions since arriving in Tennessee in the summer of 2023.

Head coach B.J. Callaghan rolled out a lightly changed, near enough full strength team in this one, the most notable changes being Reed Baker-Whiting taking the starting left back duties from Dan Lovitz, and Eddi Tagseth getting the nod in midfield over Matthew Corcoran. Alex Muyl also started this one over Warren Madrigal, as the Coyotes looked to more of a conventional 4-3-3 for their tactical shape.

This change in formation was repaid with an early 5th minute screamer from Cristian Espinoza, who lasered in a ball from a crossing position into Orlando keeper Maxime Crepeau’s near post. Then, it was a 27th minute foul committed on Jeisson Palacios by Orlando’s Nolan Miller that sent Surridge to the penalty spot for his first. He would find the next two in the 54th and 67th minutes respectively, before Madrigal wrapped up the three points in the 80th with a sumptuous finish from the top of the box.

Following Inter Miami’s 3-2 win over NYCFC, this result sends the Coyotes alone atop the Eastern Conference, and reaffirms their status as one of a handful of contenders for MLS Cup, and potentially the Supporters Shield.

Of course, a lot depends on Nashville’s run in CONCACAF Champions Cup, with the Coyotes set to host Mexican giants Club América on April 7th, before traveling to a site to be determined (hopefully Estadio Azteca, though this remains unclear) in Mexico City on April 14th. This would mark Nashville’s first trip south of the border, as all previous entanglements with Mexican clubs have come at home in Leagues Cup.

In the league, Nashville is idle through the international break before returning on the road on April 4th to face Chicago Fire at Soldier Field. The Coyotes join San Diego FC and LAFC as the only remaining undefeated sides in Major League Soccer to this point in the season, and only Nashville and Vancouver have scored double-digit goals while allowing fewer than five themselves.

All the metrics point to Nashville being among the league’s elite this season. Sam Surridge leads the Golden Boot race, Hany Mukhtar has had one of his fastest starts to a season in MLS, Cristian Espinoza has been all that anyone hoped for and then some, Patrick Yazbek looks like one of the best midfielders in the league, the list goes on and on.

Everyone involved in Nashville’s roster construction the last two offseasons deserves every bit of praise currently being launched their way, and there’s plenty of it to go around. Everyone in the mid-state needs to appreciate what they’re seeing while it’s here.

We won’t really know just how elite Nashville is or can be until we get a little closer to the World Cup break, and I think the first real sign of it will be May 17th at GEODIS Park. Nashville is playing LAFC that night and it should be appointment television. You may just be watching an MLS Cup preview.