Valair Shabilla

Nashville SC are the 2026 Supporters Shield winners. Instant reaction.

"There's a level of respect we always have for the opponent. I can tell you that the locker room celebration is quite joyous at the moment. But again, this group is humble and hungry." BJ Callaghan on Nashville's muted on-field celebrations after winning the Supporters' Shield

Nashville SC are now five points away from setting the MLS single-season record. Inter Miami set it with 74 points in 2024. They have three games remaining: 🟡 vs. Philly Union 🟡 vs. NYRB 🟡 at Cincy

Nashville SC are the 2026 Supporters' Shield champions! This is the second trophy in club history after lifting the US Open Cup last year. A huge achievement for the front office led by Mike Jacobs, the coaching staff led by BJ Callaghan and all the players.

GOAL HANY MUKHTAR! Great pressing and determination from the German. He got to the ball, fought off the defender, and finished it under the keeper. One hand on the shield!

Nashville haven't done much in attack since the goal. They have been very secure defensively, not allowing Montreal to have any real chances. A fairly similar vibe to the San Jose match, I am just not sure if Montreal have it in them to score.

Nashville SC rn

GOAL SAM SURRIDGE! A deflected cross from Reed Baker-Whiting and Surridge's initial effort is saved, but he smashes the rebound.

HT: CFM 0-0 NSH Montreal looked better as the half went on, but still nothing too dangerous. Aside from the opening five minutes, Nashville had a disappointing half. NSH need to be sharper on the ball. This match might come down to a set piece.

I don't know if it is the afternoon kickoff, but this feels so preseason rn. Very uneventful opening period, I guess there was that one shot from Surridge. Nashville need to turn possession into chances.

No surprises here, this is exactly the lineup I predicted in my preview. Weird game time, but I guess it’s never too early to win the Supporters Shield. Montreal are miserable and their star striker is out, Nashville should win. Win/draw would guarantee the Supporters Shield.

I asked BJ Callaghan about Ahmed Qasem's exclusion from the Nashville squad. Here's his answer.

We at Kickin' It 615 have been providing free soccer to kids in Nashville since 2020. We recently took a break, and we are hoping to raise enough money to resume operations. Our first fundraiser lets you rep your PL team and support your community. Please donate & share! ki615.org/2026/10/03/w...

Instant reaction: San Jose 1-1 Nashville SC

FT: SJ 1-1 NSH A fair result, all things considered. It's a good point on the road almost always, but it feels disappointing for Nashville because the Shield was on the line. Montreal away, followed by Philly at home. They'll clinch it by then for sure.

Great leg save by Angus Gunn from a deflected Elias Saad shot. That was probably the moment for Nashville.

Cristian Espinoza again receives huge applause as he exits the game for Warren Madrigal.

Goal San Jose A great free-kick delivery from Eduard Lowen finds Preston Judd's head. San Jose have been the much better team all half, deserved goal.

Nashville have done a great job defensively, keeping San Jose at bay. That said, the Quakes are getting closer and growing more confident. Nashville need a period on the ball to slow things down. The Elias Saad sub hasn't paid off yet. No need to rush into anything yet, though.

HT: SJ 0-1 NSH A balanced half overall, but Mukhtar made the difference. It's getting pretty chippy out there, will probably see more cards/fights in the second. Nashville are 45 minutes away from history!

I think Messi will win MVP, and honestly, he deserves it. That said, Hany Mukhtar is having an incredible season, and he definitely deserves to be in the conversation. Will probably be in top 3 if I had to guess.

GOAL HANY MUKHTAR!! Mukhtar gets his own rebound after a save and sends it to the roof of the net. Great finish.

A pretty slow start from both sides. Nashville have had more of the ball, but no real chances for either team. San Jose have had a couple of good looks, but Palacios has been great at sniffing out the danger.

The San Jose DJ is going really hard on the Pitbull tonight. Also, Guy Fieri just hyped up the crowd. What a wonderful place this is.

Prematch from PayPal Park. Can Nashville SC lift the Supporter’ Shield tonight?

Cristian Espinoza receives a warm for his return to PayPal park. A lot of applause, some standing ovation even.

Surprise!

"I was very surprised, I didn't know I was going to go in the set pieces." Andy Nájar discusses his header goal and the Nashville SC locker room. #EveryoneN

FT: NSH 4-0 SKC Total domination from NSH, who were in second (maybe third?) gear throughout the second half. Stefan Cleveland was the only reason Nashville didn't score 6+ goals tonight. One step closer to the Supporters' Shield!

GOAL WARREN MADRIGAL! A bit of a harsh handball call for the penalty, but Madrigal converts regardless. A great return for the Costa Rican. 4-0.

Surridge puts the ball at the back of the net, but he uses his arm. There's no telling where Saad's cross would've ended up if Surridge hadn't intervened, but you can't tell a striker not to attack a cross. Correct call from the refs.

HT: NSH 3-0 SKC To be honest, the score is generous to SKC. Textbook ass-kicking from NSH, not much else can be said. Mukhtar and RBW are probably the top two performances so far. Unless SKC can pull a miracle comeback, it should be more of the same in the second.

This game feels like the first-place team is playing the last-place team. Wait a minute...

GOAL ANDY NAJAR! Cristian Espinoza delivers a great corner. The fullback leaps and meets the ball in the air, slotting it into the back of the net. Really smart play from Najar to follow the ball.

GOAL SAM SURRIDGE! Great work from Reed Baker-Whiting to get to Hany Mukhtar, who beats two players and puts it on a plate for Surridge. The Englishman has missed a few recently, so this was much needed.

GOAL HANY MUKHTAR! AN incredible acrobatic goal from the German! Andy Najar does a great job getting the cross, but it's all about the finish here. Probably the goal of the matchday.

Berterame doing 15 celebrations after scoring a tap-in gives the same energy as me at the media game a few weeks back. You have to respect the celly game

Tagseth comes in for Yazbek, no other rotation. It's the business end of the season and most of the players had a break recently, so this isn't surprising. The André Luiz signing gave SKC a shot in the arm, but they are still one of the worst teams in MLS. Nashville should win.

Duncan McGuire after listening to the latest @soccerwisehq.bsky.social episode

FT: AUS 1-4 NSH Got a bit unnecessarily nervy for a few minutes, but otherwise Nashville totally dominated. NSH xG might end up being 5+, they created a lot, and AUS gifted them some too. For a team with "finishing issues," scoring four away from home isn't bad.

GOAL HANY MUKHTAR! It finally comes off for the German. No kidding, this could've been his hat-trick goal. Great run, rounds the keeper and finishes. Nashville up 4-1.

GOAL SHAK MOHAMMED! A great run from the substitute and a very savvy finish. Exactly what Nashville needed.

Goal Austin A great goal from by Vazquez. NSH center backs should've been stronger. NSH have missed A LOT of chances, and they need to lock things up for the rest of this match.

GOAL ELIAS SAAD! The Tunisian international finally opens his account for Nashville SC, it has been long coming. Fairly similar to the first goal, Nashville reacted faster to the rebound from the shot. Good build-up from NSH as well.

HT: AUS 0-1 NSH Schwake made one of the best saves of the season to keep Nashville's lead. NSH were dominant, but Austin had a couple of dangerous looks. Surridge hit the bar, and NSH had a couple of opportunities they should've turned into something more substantial.

It's not uncommon for Reed Baker-Whiting to be in the box. BJ Callaghan always encourages his players to add numbers in the box, regardless of position; RBW is perhaps the best player at that. It helps that he attacks from a surprising position, which often leaves him unmarked.

Reed Baker-Whiting GOAL... with his chest? Terrible defending from Austin, Patrick Yazbek and RBW take advantage. Nashville lead 1-0.

Sorry y'all, a combo of traffic and technical difficulties has prevented me from watching the match so far. I *think* everything is working now. Let me know what I have missed so far!

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