Nashville SC finally got the moment they’ve been waiting for last night: their first-ever major trophy. A 2–1 win over Austin FC in the U.S. Open Cup final doesn’t just give them silverware for the cabinet—it redefines the club’s place in MLS. They’ve been close before, good enough to frustrate giants and awkward enough to spoil plenty of parties, but now they’ve proven they can win a final of their own. That matters on several levels for Nashville SC.
It also matters beyond the club. This is the first major professional sports title of any kind for the state of Tennessee. For a fanbase that has lived through years of “nearly” narratives, it’s hard to overstate just how seismic this feels.
Mukhtar and Surridge Deliver for Callaghan
The storyline could hardly have been scripted better. Hany Mukhtar, the heartbeat of Nashville since the start, struck first. Then Sam Surridge—who has transformed Nashville’s attack since arriving—kept his nerve from the penalty spot to restore the lead and ultimately secure the cup. Even if he did earn a red card for some streetwise time wasting in the 6th minute of added time.
It was classic Nashville: a disciplined, stubborn defensive performance backed up by ruthlessness in the final third. Austin had more of the ball, more shots, and looked more fluid at times. But Brian Schwake’s penalty save at 1–0 flipped the script, and from that point you just sensed this was going to be Nashville’s night, even after the equaliser.
Credit, too, goes to B.J. Callaghan. This wasn’t expansive, free-flowing football—it rarely is with Nashville. But it was effective. The shape was compact, the midfield was disciplined, they soaked up a lot of pressure and relied heavily on Schwake’s ball stopping abilities, but when chances came, they were buried.
That’s not always been the case in Nashville’s big moments. Think of the 2023 Leagues Cup final or the way they’ve sometimes run out of ideas against better-resourced MLS opposition. This time, though, they had enough quality and conviction to see it through.
Why This Trophy Really Matters
Every MLS club wants trophies, but some need them more than others. Nashville are one of those clubs. For years, they’ve been competitive without being truly threatening—always awkward to play against, never quite capable of climbing the mountain. Winning the U.S. Open Cup changes that perception.
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It gives the squad belief. It gives the supporters validation. And it puts the club on the map internationally, with a spot secured in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup. When Mukhtar said post-match:
“I think it is important for us that we know that we can do it, that we can win a trophy,”
it felt like the truth distilled into one line. This group needed proof of concept. Now they have it.
Sam Surridge: What a Signing
There’s also a bigger takeaway: Sam Surridge has been one of the best signings in MLS in recent years. He has been nothing short of a revelation since joining Nashville SC. His six goals in this year’s U.S. Open Cup earned him the Golden Boot—the best return by any player in the competition since 2019—and it was his 60th-minute penalty that ultimately sealed the club’s first ever trophy.
For a team long built on defensive resilience, Surridge has provided the missing piece: a reliable, clinical striker who thrives in knockout football. Paired with Hany Mukhtar, he has given Nashville an attacking balance they’ve never previously had.
Six goals for Sam Surridge in the @opencup 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MRHPYaTZnv
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 2, 2025
What makes his rise more striking is where he came from. In England, Surridge was largely viewed as a serviceable Championship forward, rarely trusted to lead the line at Premier League level. In MLS, he’s become a match-winner in finals and a proven goalscorer on a national stage.
That transformation may not go unnoticed. Other mid-tier UK players, caught between squad roles in the Premier League and the grind of the Championship, could see Surridge’s success as a blueprint. MLS is proving it can offer not just opportunity, but silverware and stardom—something Nashville’s No. 9 has now delivered in emphatic style.
The Next Chapter for Nashville
So where does this leave Nashville? With momentum. With belief. And, crucially, with a place at the continental table. The Champions Cup will test their depth and their ceiling. But that’s the point: they finally have a ceiling worth testing.
Winning the Open Cup doesn’t guarantee more trophies, but it changes the conversation. Nashville SC are no longer a team defined by resilience alone. They’re a club that has won something. And if you were in Austin last night, you’ll know this felt less like an ending and more like the beginning of what comes next.