The Boys in Gold earn a landmark 1-1 draw against Inter Miami CF, advancing to the Champions Cup Quarterfinals for the first time in club history; next opponent will be the winner between Philadelphia Union and Club América in the Round of 16.

Nashville SC is enjoying an undefeated streak through its first eight matches of the season (5 wins, 0 losses, 3 draws), a club-first accomplishment across all competitions.

Midfielder Cristian Espinoza netted the equalizer and decisive goal for the series, earning the title of Concacaf Champions Cup Player of the Match.

Nashville SC clinched a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals for the first time in club history after a 1-1 tie versus Inter Miami CF on Wednesday night in South Florida. The away goals rule served as the primary tiebreaker in the Champions Cup’s home-and-away format. Nashville entered the second leg tied with Miami at zero away goals and needed a win or a draw that wasn’t scoreless to move forward. Cristian Espinoza’s second-half strike leveled the match and secured the team’s advancement.

Watch Nashville SC’s Concacaf Champions Cup post-match media session here

Starting strong, finishing stronger: Nashville SC is unbeaten through eight games (5 wins, 0 losses, 3 draws) for the first time in club history. They’ve outscored their opponents 16-3 so far this season.

Schwake sets a new mark: Brian Schwake, Nashville’s goalkeeper, has a 10-0-3 record in his first 13 starts, making him the first keeper in MLS history to go unbeaten in his first 13 matches for a club.

Midfield magic: Cristian Espinoza’s clutch goal in the 74th minute was his first in Concacaf Champions Cup play, his second goal in all competitions for Nashville SC, and his fifth goal contribution of the season.

Up next: Nashville SC wraps up a busy stretch of five games in 15 days as they host Orlando City SC at GEODIS Park for MLS action on Sam Surridge Bobblehead Night, presented by Renasant, Saturday, March 21 at 5 p.m. CT.

Notes:

Nashville SC:

  • Reached the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals for the first time in team history
  • Remained unbeaten in the opening eight matches of the season (5 wins, 0 losses, 3 draws)
  • Hold a 4-1-3 all-time record in Concacaf Champions Cup
  • Lead opponents 8-1 in goals during this season’s Champions Cup
  • Hold a 16-3 goal differential in 2026
  • Eliminated Inter Miami CF from a knockout tournament for the first time since November 20, 2020 (Audi MLS Cup Playoffs)

Cristian Espinoza:

  • Scored his second goal this season and his first in Concacaf Champions Cup
  • Named Concacaf Champions Cup Player of the Match

Brian Schwake:

  • Has not lost in his first 13 starts for Nashville SC (10 wins, 0 losses, 3 draws)
  • Recorded a season-best five saves

Box Score:

Nashville SC (2 wins, 0 losses, 2 draws in Concacaf Champions Cup) vs. Inter Miami CF (0 wins, 0 losses, 2 draws in Concacaf Champions Cup)

March 18, 2026 – Inter Miami CF Stadium

Final Score:

Nashville SC: 1

Inter Miami CF: 1

Scoring Summary:

Inter Miami CF: Lionel Messi (Assist: Sergio Reguilón) 7’

Nashville SC: Cristian Espinoza 74’

Discipline:

Inter Miami CF: Gonzalo Lujan (Yellow Card) 38’

Lineups:

Nashville SC starters: Brian Schwake; Dan Lovitz (Reed Baker-Whiting 58’), Jeisson Palacios, Maxwell Woledzi, Andy Najar (Josh Bauer 86’); Matthew Corcoran (Eddi Tagseth 71’), Cristian Espinoza, Patrick Yazbek; Hany Mukhtar (C) (Bryan Acosta 85’), Warren Madrigal (Alex Muyl 58’), Sam Surridge

Bench: Joe Willis, Xavier Valdez, Jack Maher, Woobens Pacius, Thomas Williams, Jordan Knight, Ahmed Qasem

Inter Miami CF starters: Dayne St. Clair; Gonzalo Lujan, Sergio Reguilón (Noah Allen 40’), Facundo Mura (Luis Suarez 78’), Micael Dos Santos; Rodrigo De Paul, Telasco Segovia (Mateo Silvetti 61’), Yannick Bright (David Ayala 78’); Lionel Messi (C), German Berterame, Tadeo Allende

Bench: Luis Barraza, Rocco Rios-Novo, Ian Fray, Santiago Morales, David Ruiz-Ochoa, Daniel Pinter, Cesar Abadia-Reda, Alex Shaw

Match Officials:

Referee: Adonai Escobedo

Assistant Referee 1: Michel Espinoza

Assistant Referee 2: Leonardo Castillo

Fourth Official: Daniel Quintero

VAR: Enrique Santander

Assistant VAR: Oscar Macias

Weather: 65°F and rainy

Nashville SC entered Major League Soccer on February 29, 2020, drawing the largest crowd ever for a soccer match in Tennessee. The club claimed its first championship with the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and made history by advancing to the Conference Semifinals in its inaugural MLS season, only the second expansion team to do so. In its second year, Nashville SC was one of just seven MLS teams to go undefeated at home, and it has reached the postseason in 2022, 2023, and 2025, becoming the third club to qualify for the playoffs in its first four years and the ninth to do so in five out of its first six seasons. GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada, opened on May 1, 2022, with a sellout crowd of 30,109. For more info, visit   NashvilleSC.com   or follow @NashvilleSC on   Instagram ,   Facebook ,   TikTok ,   X and   Spotify .