By Wes Boling
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville SC Manager B.J. Callaghan acknowledged this week that progress in his first full season was not going to be linear. After one match: point taken.
On a crisp Saturday night at GEODIS Park, the Boys in Gold showed glimpses of their desired identity while clinging to vestiges of their former counter-attacking style in a scoreless draw with New England to open their sixth season in Major League Soccer.
The Boys in Gold out-possessed and outshot a disorganized-but-scrappy New England side, looking more dangerous than the visitors but failing to find the final touch. Forwards Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar combined for 11 shots, more than the entire Revs team managed, but New England keeper Aljaz Ivacic made three saves to split the points in his team’s second season opener under manager Caleb Porter.
Striker Sam Surridge found the back of the net in the 67th minute, heading a pinpoint Hany Mukhtar cross into the back of the net only to see Mukhtar ruled offside in the buildup. The call did not appear to be conclusive either way, and the video assistant referee (VAR) upheld the decision after a brief review. New England nearly stole all three points in the 89th minute when Ignatius Gonago scored following a scrum in front of goal, but the offside flag negated the goal.
Whatever NSC becomes in Callaghan’s first full season in Music City, the club hopes it will have the services of a wider selection of talent. Seven Nashville SC players missed the match with injury, including four players in the mix for starting roles – forward Jacob Shaffelburg and midfielders Gaston Brugman, Bryan Acosta and Patrick Yazbek.
Perhaps a sign of NSC’s lack of depth, and certainly a departure from Gary Smith’s conservative personnel philosophy – under-22 acquisition Ahmed Qasem was Nashville SC’s first substitute just four days after Nashville SC announced his signing. Qasem, who entered on the wing for Alex Muyl, combined with Mukhtar in the 83th minute for a dangerous chance from the right flank, but the former MLS MVP pushed his shot wide of the near post.
Nashville SC assumed the front foot early, earning seven of the match’s first eight corner kicks (NSC only surpassed seven corners three times last season) and taking eight of the first 12 shots. The mentality of defending through possession kept the Revs from generating much danger; New England put its first shot on frame in the 25th minute, and the Boys in Gold held New England without a shot for the first 16 minutes.
Surridge provided the most dangerous early chance off a 19th-minute cross from Andy Najar, when his stabbing header forced New England goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic to tap the ball over the bar. Four minutes prior, Surridge brought the crowd to a roar with an attempted bicycle kick off a corner kick from Eddi Tagseth, but his boot could only manage a glancing blow.
MLS debutant Wyatt Meyer narrowly missed the left post with a searing shot in the 22nd minute, screaming in frustration at the missed opportunity to open his MLS account just one day after the club announced his signing. Meyer started alongside fellow rookie Matthew Corcoran, who at 19 years old was the youngest starter in Nashville SC history.
Hany Mukhtar tested the goalkeeper for the first time in the 31stminute when a New England giveaway resulted in a dangerous chance ten yards from goal. Mukhtar opted for a tough-angle shot with his dominant right foot instead of opening into space with his left, and Ivacic parried the ball away for a corner.
New England looked more dangerous early in the second half, but Nashville neutralized the Revs’ threatening moments and attempted the first shot 13 minutes into the stanza, a scooping 24-yard effort from Meyer that sailed over the bar.
The Boys in Gold outshot the Revs 6-5 in the second half, 14-10 on the evening, and only allowed one New England effort on goal all night.
Next up for Nashville is a trip to reigning Eastern Conference champions New York Red Bulls, who lost 1-0 to FC Cincinnati to open their season.
Gold Nuggets
▪ The result was the third scoreless draw in 10 meetings between Nashville and New England. The first two happened in Foxborough
▪ Midfielder Matthew Corcoran was the youngest player to start a match in Nashville SC history. He turned 19 Monday
▪ Four NSC starters made their Nashville SC debuts, and for three of them it was the first time on an MLS pitch. Rookies Meyer and Corcoran patrolled midfield, with highly touted winger Tagseth debuting in front of veteran fullback Najar on the right flank. Meyer and Corcoran’s combined age – 42 years – is only four years older than former team captain Dax McCarty on his own
▪ Corcoran picked up the first yellow card of the season, and only yellow of the night, for the Boys in Gold with a reckless challenge from behind to stop a New England attack in the 64th minute. New England midfielder Jackson Yueillresponded in kind less than a minute later to stop a Nashville SC counterattack off the ensuing free kick
▪ The average age of Nashville SC’s starting field players – 27 years – was younger than its average player age for every season since 2020, lowered by the presence of Corcoran (19 years old), Meyer (23) and Tagseth (24)
▪ B.J. Callaghan only made two substitutions – Qasem in the 77thminute and midfielder Jonathan Perez for Eddi Tagseth in stoppage time
▪ Nashville SC eschewed its traditional pre-kickoff guitar riff for “the lighting of the N” by a celebrity, moving the riff to earlier in the pregame festivities. WWE star Seamus launched the 2025 season by gregariously berating the crowd, which was less than full, for not cheering loudly enough – “this IS Nashville, right?” he boomed as New England took the first touch of the season
Club and Country 