Nashville SC kept their strong run rolling on Saturday night, earning a 4-2 home victory over Charlotte FC in an open and eventful Major League Soccer fixture at GEODIS Park.
With Nashville seeing more of the ball and dictating long stretches of the contest, the hosts turned their pressure into a two-goal cushion before halftime and then found the right answers each time Charlotte threatened to make the night tense. Hany Mukhtar opened the scoring in the 19th minute, Ahmed Qasem added a second in the 25th minute, and Sam Surridge struck twice after the break, in the 60th and 74th minutes, to put the result beyond doubt.
Charlotte did have their moments and showed real resilience. Morrison Agyemang pulled one back with a header in the 42nd minute to give the visitors belief going into the interval, and Pep Biel scored in the 67th minute to cut the deficit to 3-2. But every time the away side hinted at a comeback, Nashville found another gear.
Fast start puts Nashville in command
Nashville’s authority was evident in both possession and territory. The home side finished with 62.3 percent of the ball, won six corners to Charlotte’s two, and produced 13 shots with seven on target. That control began to tell midway through the first half.
Mukhtar broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, giving Nashville the breakthrough their bright opening spell deserved. Six minutes later, Qasem doubled the lead in the 25th minute as the hosts punished Charlotte’s inability to stem the flow through midfield.
At 2-0, Nashville looked fully in control, but Charlotte responded well before the break. Agyemang’s header in the 42nd minute shifted the mood slightly and ensured the visitors remained firmly in the fixture at halftime, with Nashville leading 2-1.
Charlotte threaten, Surridge settles it
The second half followed a similar pattern: Nashville pressing forward with purpose, Charlotte trying to stay alive in transition and on set-piece moments. The home side restored their two-goal margin on the hour when Surridge scored in the 60th minute, a key strike that re-established breathing room.
Charlotte were not done, though. Biel’s goal in the 67th minute again brought the visitors within one and briefly raised the prospect of a frantic finish. Yet Nashville’s response was immediate and decisive. Surridge struck again in the 74th minute, completing his brace and effectively ending Charlotte’s push.
That fourth goal summed up Nashville’s night: clinical, timely, and composed in the big moments.
Control and cutting edge
Beyond the scoreline, the underlying numbers backed up Nashville’s superiority. They recorded four assists on four goals, a sign of the quality in their attacking combinations, while Charlotte managed only two shots on target from seven attempts overall. Even with Charlotte converting their limited openings efficiently, Nashville consistently looked the more complete side.
There was still bite to the closing stages, with Alex Muyl shown a yellow card in the 77th minute for Nashville and David Schnegg booked in the 84th minute for Charlotte. Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake also entered the book in the 87th minute as the hosts managed the final minutes and saw out the result.
For Nashville, this was another impressive attacking display and another reminder of how dangerous they can be when Mukhtar and Surridge are combining in rhythm. For Charlotte, there were flashes of character, especially in their efforts to claw back into the fixture, but they were second best for too much of the evening on a pitch where Nashville rarely loosened their grip.
By full time, the 4-2 result felt like a fair reflection of the contest: Charlotte were brave and opportunistic, but Nashville were sharper, stronger, and more in control from start to finish.
