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Nashville SC dismantles Chicago Fire in record win; Sam Surridge scores four goals
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- Nashville SC dismantles Chicago Fire in record win; Sam Surridge scores four goals
Consider it a statement made by Nashville SC .
The Boys in Gold ran rampant in attack against the Chicago Fire on April 26, securing a 7-2 win — the most goals in a game in club history — to bounce back from a season-worst loss on April 19. Nashville SC 's previous highest scoring game was a 6-3 win over FC Cincinnati in 2021.
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NSC piled on five goals in the first half, then scored two goals in the opening 12 minutes of the second half that put the game to bed. Nashville's seven goals are the most scored by an MLS team this season.
"We got done (against Seattle ), we realize that it wasn't us," coach B.J. Callaghan said. "And those things happen, but we have to have responses. It was a really focused week of training and credit to the group tonight. They came out as a single unit and put in a really good performance."
More: Could Nashville host 2031 Women's World Cup? What FIFA president Gianni Infantino said
Sam Surridge has career night in front of goal
Sam Surridge scored four goals in the game, the most in a single game ever by a Nashville SC player. He has a team-high six goals this season, and Hany Mukhtar added two to bring his season total to four.
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Surridge opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he sent a penalty kick straight down the center, in similar fashion to his converted spot kick against Real Salt Lake on April 12. Just before the half, he got the chance to double his tally from the penalty spot, once again sending the ball straight down the middle, powering through a solid hand on the ball by Chicago keeper Chris Brady .
"I knew I was going to go down the middle on the first one," Surridge said after the game. "I was waiting for (the keeper) to move on the second one, but then I saw him go a little bit and I lifted it. It's a bit of cat and mouse with keepers because they are getting better at saving them, so I've been working hard on the training field . . . just got to keep the keeper guessing."
Two Surridge goals in the opening 12 minutes of the second half brought Nashville's lead to seven, as Surridge reached the highest single-game goal tally of his career.
Apr 26, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC forward Sam Surridge (9) kicks a penalty kick in the first half of the match against the Chicago Fire at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Casey Gower-Imagn Images
Nashville defenders get in on goal-scoring action
Surridge's two goals from open play were put on a platter by right back Andy Najar , who finished with three assists, while keeping Chicago's recently acquired designated player Jonathan Bamba quiet on the left wing in the first half.
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And Najar wasn't the only defender involved in the attack. Center back Jeisson Palacios, starting for a second straight game in just his third NSC appearance, headed home his first career goal in gold to double Nashville's lead in the 22nd minute.
"When you've got lads chip in like Jeisson tonight, obviously Hany's got his two, but when you've got defenders scoring goals, you know that goals can come from anywhere in the team," Surridge said.
Mukhtar combined with Najar on his second goal of the game and praised Nashville's first-year defender for his contributions farther up the field.
"He's a very special player," Mukhtar said. "His ability with the ball is very unique for a right back and he's a very smart player . . . he's a great addition to the team and like I mentioned before, I think the front office did a great job with the new additions."
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Callaghan faced off against former U.S. men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter for the first time. Callaghan worked for four years as an assistant under Berhalter with the USMNT , before taking on the interim manager title in 2023.
Nashville SC travels south to face Atlanta United at 1:45 p.m. CT on May 3.
Nashville SC vs. Philadelphia Union score updates
Nashville SC vs. Chicago Fire lineups
Nashville
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Goalkeeper: Joe Willis
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Left back: Daniel Lovitz
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Center back: Jack Maher
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Center back: Jeisson Palacios
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Right back: Andy Najar
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Central midfielder: Alex Muyl
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Central midfielder: Edvard Tagseth
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Central midfielder: Patrick Yazbek
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Left wing: Jacob Shaffelburg
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Right wing: Hany Mukhtar (captain)
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Striker: Sam Surridge
Bench: Brian Schwake (GK), Josh Bauer (CB), Christopher Applewhite (CB), Taylor Washington (DM), Gaston Brugman (CM), Bryan Acosta (CM), Jonathan Perez (CM), Teal Bunbury (CF), Ahmed Qasem (CF)
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Chicago
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Goalkeeper: Chris Brady
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Left back: Andrew Gutman
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Center back: Jack Elliott
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Center back: Sam Rogers
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Right back: Omari Glasgow
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Central midfielder: Brian Gutierrez
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Central midfielder: Mauricio Pineda
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Central midfielder: Kellyn Acosta (captain)
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Left wing: Jonathan Bamba
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Right wing: Philip Zinckernagel
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Striker: Hugo Cuypers
Bench: Jeffrey Gal (GK), Omar Gonzalez (CB), Christopher Cupps (CB), Johnny Dean (LB), Justin Reynolds (RB), Dje D'Avilla (DM), Maren Haile-Selassie (CM), Sergio Oregel Jr. (CM), Tom Barlow (CF)
Nashville SC game vs. Chicago date, time, location
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Date:Saturday, April 26
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Time:7:30 p.m. CT
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Location:Geodis Park, Nashville
How to watch Nashville SC game vs. Chicago Fire
Nashville SC vs. Chicago Fire can be streamed with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. This is the third season of a 10-year partnership between MLS and Apple TV, which will carry every MLS regular-season and playoff game.
Nashville SC vs. Chicago Fire betting odds
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Odds:Nashville -110, Chicago +250, draw +250
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Over/under:2.5 goals (-165 over, +130 under)
Odds via DraftKings, as of April 26
Nashville SC schedule
All times Central
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Feb. 22: T 0-0 vs. New England Revolution
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March 1: L 2-0 at New York Red Bulls
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March 8: W 2-0 vs. Portland Timbers
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March 16: W 3-1 at Philadelphia Union
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March 29: L 2-1 vs. FC Cincinnati
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April 5: L 2-1 at Charlotte FC
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April 12: W 2-1 vs. Real Salt Lake
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April 19: L 3-0 at Seattle Sounders
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April 26: W 7-2 Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m.
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May 3:at Atlanta United, 1:30 p.m.
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May 10: vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
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May 14: vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
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May 17: vs. D.C. United , 7:30 p.m.
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May 24:at Toronto FC , 6:30 p.m.
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May 28:at Columbus Crew , 7 p.m.
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May 31: vs. New York City FC , 3:30 p.m.
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June 14:at Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m.
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June 25:at New England Revolution, 6:30 p.m.
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June 28:at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m.
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July 5: vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
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July 12:at Inter Miami , 6:30 p.m.
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July 16: vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
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July 19: vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.
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July 25:at San Diego FC , 9:30 p.m.
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August 9:at St. Louis City , 7:30 p.m.
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August 17:at New York City FC, 4 p.m.
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August 23: vs. Orlando City , 7:30 p.m.
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August 30: vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m.
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September 13:at FC Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.
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September 20:at Orlando City, 6:30 p.m.
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September 27: vs. Houston Dynamo , 7:30 p.m.
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October 4:at CF Montreal, 6:30 p.m.
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October 18: vs. Inter Miami, 5 p.m.
Harrison Campbell covers sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@gannett.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp .
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: MLS: Nashville SC dominates Chicago Fire, scoring 5 first-half goals
