Nashville SC extended its 15-game unbeaten streak on Wednesday as they beat DC United 5-2 at home in their US Open Quarterfinal match. It’s been nearly three months since the Boys in Gold lost a match in any competition, dating back to April 19th in Seattle.
Nashville faces one of its toughest games this season on Saturday as it’s set to play Inter Miami on the road. Nashville (12-5-4) sits one point behind Cincinnati for the Eastern Conference lead, while Miami (10-5-3) is in fifth place, having played three fewer games.
Miami returned to MLS play last weekend with a 4-1 win over bottom-of-the-conference Montreal. The team had spent the last month playing in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they lost 4-0 to PSG in the Round of 16.
Nashville SC is 4-5-5 against Inter Miami after 14 games in all competitions. They saw early results in the rivalry, but haven’t beaten Lionel Messi and company in their last seven matches.
The teams have played some high-stakes games previously. The most famous matchup was in 2023 at the Nations Cup final, Messi’s first game against Nashville. The teams battled to a 1-1 draw that went straight to penalty kicks. It took 19 penalty shots for Miami to secure the win. Later that year, in the playoffs, Miami would edge out Nashville 2-1 in a tightly contested first-round match.
Saturday night will be the first meeting between the two clubs this season, with the return fixture in Nashville on October 19th. Miami comes into the game Saturday riding its winning streak of four games in MLS play.
The win probability going into Saturday night is in favor of Miami at 50%, leaving Nashville only a 27% chance of winning. The Boys in Gold have only won once in Chase Stadium, a 5-1 thrashing back in 2021. If they want to continue their unbeaten streak, they’ll have to find a way to stop Messi and the team on the road.
On paper, the two teams are a good matchup. Miami has scored 42 goals in MLS play this season, putting them in second place behind newcomers San Diego FC. Nashville has been the better defensive team, ranking fourth in fewest goals conceded with only 23. Their defense only looks to be getting stronger as center back Walker Zimmerman returns after missing most of the season.
Both teams have a player in the race for the Golden Boot. Nashville’s Sam Surridge leads the league with 16 goals, while Inter’s Messi is second with 14 goals. They both have a strong supporting cast behind their top scorers. Hany Mukhtar has 17 goal contributions this year for Nashville, while right back Andy Nájar is tied for first in assists by a defender with seven. Luis Suárez leads Miami in assists with eight, and Tadeo Allende has contributed seven goals.
Nashville SC and Inter Miami are red-hot coming into Saturday night’s game after convincing victories. It’s hard to pick against Messi when he’s playing well, but it feels like Nashville is a team on a mission right now.
Coach BJ Callaghan has Nashville believing. On Wednesday against DC, they fell behind 2-0 in the 24th minute after a ripped shot off the crossbar and an own goal from defender Jack Maher. It didn’t deter their spirit at all. A few moments later, they would drag one back off a turnover and then explode for four more late in the second half. This comes on the heels of an epic win last weekend over Philadelphia, where Nashville, down to ten men, scored a penalty from Mukhtar in the 101st minute to win.
Zimmerman’s return to the Nashville backline strengthens an already formidable group. Full-backs Nájar and Dan Lovitz are having the best season of their careers, while Surridge seems to have finally found some scoring consistency.
All of this adds up to an exciting match that will likely stay close. One mistake by either team could cost them the match. On Saturday night, the Boys in Gold will face the odds, the crowd, and a football icon, but Nashville will show that belief can move mountains.
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