Match Recap: Nashville SC set club record for goals scored in 7-2 massacre of Chicago Fire
All week, eyes were fixed on the first coaching matchup of former USMNT coaches B.J. Callaghan and Gregg Berhalter.
On Saturday night in GEODIS Park, a crime, or more accurately, series of crimes were committed. In one of the most thorough beatdowns in Major League Soccer this decade, Callaghan’s Nashville SC cruised to a 7-2 annihilation of Berhalter’s Chicago Fire.
Yes, you read that correctly. Seven goals to two.
Let’s examine the crime scene.
The Lineup
Two changes were made from the side that lost to Seattle Sounders a week ago, as Gastón Brugman and Ahmed Qasem made way for Eddi Tagseth and Jacob Shaffelburg respectively.
Joining those two on the field were the other nine from last week’s defeat, the forwards being Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge and Alex Muyl.
In midfield, it was Patrick Yazbek opposite Tagseth, in front of a back four consisting of Jeisson Palacios, Andy Najar, Jack Maher and Dan Lovitz. Joe Willis remained in goal as well.
Between the Whistles
What a difference a week makes, huh? From not needing a Between the Whistles to perhaps the single longest version of this section you will ever read. Enjoy!
From the opening whistle, Nashville were in complete control. A couple early chances, most notably for Sam Surridge in the 3rd minute, were rebuffed, but the threat was there. Then, in the 12th minute, Jacob Shaffelburg was kicked in the box by Chicago’s Jack Elliott, and won a penalty, which Sam Surridge converted in the 14th minute.
This opened the floodgates. Seven minutes later in the 21st, Jeisson Palacios headed home a corner from Hany Mukhtar for his first MLS goal, which was immediately followed up by a goal from Mukhtar in the 25th. This one was courtesy of a back post cross by Jacob Shaffelburg, which Alex Muyl got a chest to, and Hany Mukhtar tapped home with his hips.
Then, in the 31st, it was Mukhtar again, as he picked out an overlapping Andy Najar, who pulled back for Mukhtar oncemore to make it four, yes, four to nil.
Then, just before the halftime whistle, Surridge won another penalty. Chicago keeper Chris Brady tried scuffing up the penalty spot, and earned a yellow card for his troubles. Surridge stutter stepped, shot, and banged home Nashville’s fifth off Brady’s palm.
Five goals in the first half for Nashville, the vibes could not have been higher. What more could they do?
In the 50th minute, an inch perfect long ball from Najar found Surridge, who took one touch, and lashed home his hat trick. This attack was so nice, Najar did it twice. In the 57th, again, Najar put forward an inch perfect long ball that found Surridge, who finished to give himself four and Nashville seven.
There was serious threat of the Boys in Gold tying, or perhaps eclipsing the all-time margin of victory record in MLS, which stands at eight goals, a record set by LA Galaxy all the way back in 1998.
That record would not be broken. Or tied. Two great set pieces from Chicago, first a free kick from Philip Zinckernagel in the 64th, and then a corner which eventually found the head of Hugo Cuypers in the 71st, proved a minor consolation for the Fire.
A couple more chances, which frankly Nashville could have and should have scored, came and went, and the final whistle blew on a 7-2 thumping in favor of the home Nashville.
The Numbers
Nashville SC
Shots- 18
Shots on target- 2
Corners- 4
Possession- 58.9%
xG- 5.1
Yellow Cards- None
Chicago Fire FC
Shots- 9
Shots on target- 6
Corners- 1
Possession- 41.1%
xG- 0.7
Yellow Cards- 3 (Jack Elliott, Chris Brady, Dje Davilla)
Analysis
There are not enough adjectives in the English language to describe just how comprehensive a dismantling this was. The last time an MLS team scored seven goals was when the Philadelphia Union put D.C. United to the sword by a score of 7-0 on July 8th, 2022. (They also beat them 6-0 in the reverse fixture that season, no correlation just thought that was insane)
Nearly three full years passed between instances of this happening. That’s historic. Nashville themselves had only ever scored five or more goals on three occasions, those being a 5-1 victory over, funnily enough, Chicago in 2021, a 6-3 defeat of Cincinnati also in 2021, and a 5-0 defeat of Minnesota in the 2023 Leagues Cup quarterfinal.
A club record for goals in a game, Sam Surridge sets a club record for goals in a game by one player, while also joining Hany Mukhtar as the only players in club history with multiple hat tricks.
Hany Mukhtar got his seventh and eighth goals against the Fire in his career, Andy Najar bagged a hat trick of assists, oh, and Jeisson Palacios grabbed his first MLS goal to boot.
The two Chicago consolation goals, while perfectly executed set pieces, are frustrating, sure, but in the kind of way you really, really don’t care about when you win by five anyway.
In eight matchups against the Chicago Fire, Nashville has scored an incredible 20 goals and conceded just five. In games played in the Music City? Nashville has scored 17 and conceded four.
For whatever reason, wherever they are on the schedule, Nashville SC takes out any and all frustration they have on the Chicago Fire. Even in the worst season in Nashville’s young MLS history, they still did the double over the Fire. One of the more fascinating trends in MLS, for sure.
Next up for Nashville SC, they take a trip to Atlanta on May 3rd for an early afternoon tilt, before coming back home on May 6th to face Chattanooga Red Wolves in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
See you then!