Nashville SC advanced through the Quarterfinals of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 5-2 dismantling of visiting D.C. United. United scored twice in the first 25 minutes, but five unanswered goals from the home side were more than enough to advance as Nashville reach the Semifinals for the first time in club history.
D.C. United opened the scoring early with a sweet strike from Gabriel Pirani. Nashville defender Jack Maher scored an own goal as DC United went up 2-0. Jonathan Perez pounced on a poor clearance to give Nashville a goal before halftime. It was all Nashville in the second half. Sam Surridge converted a penalty and converted a cross from a few yards out to put Nashville in the lead. An impressive volley from Andy Najar and a header from Walker Zimmerman completed Nashville’s record scoring Open Cup outing.
It was Nashville’s highest-scoring US Open Cup match in club history. Prior to Wednesday night, Nashville had never scored more than three goals in a tournament game. As for United, they made history in the wrong way. The five goals were the most D.C. had ever given up in an Open Cup game. The previous high was DCU’s 4-3 extra time loss to the Charleston Battery in 1999, which is known as the Coffee Pot Game.
The announced crowd of 21,238 that witnessed the game was not only a club record, but, according to TheCup.us records, it is the 14th largest crowd in tournament history and the largest crowd to witness a Quarterfinal match.
A spot in the US Open Cup Semifinals was on the line on a hot Tennessee night. With the other match of the night between the Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls postponed, all eyes were on the Music City. The two teams met a few weeks prior in league play as Nashville earned a 1-0 road win.
The visitors started the game with a low, compact block that earned them a clean sheet the last time they visited Nashville. “DC did a decent job of occupying the spaces that we wanted in the midfield,” Nashville assistant coach Michael Nsien commented after the game. “Their five and their two did a good job of protecting the space, which we really like to get into.”
D.C. United opened the scoring early through midfielder Gabriel Pirani. While Boris Enow earned an assist for restarting play with a free kick near midfield, it was Pirani that dribbled thirty yards, eased past several defenders, and unleashed a left footed strike from the top of the box. The Brazilian’s shot deflected off the underside of the crossbar, giving goalkeeper Brian Schwake no chance to maintain parity. With four minutes on the clock, United led 1-0.
It wasn’t one-and-done as chances continued to fall to both sides. Nashville’s high press and United’s clinical counter attacks provided end-to-end action. David Schnegg and Sam Surridge both saw headers go wide.
The next goal came in the 24th minute in the form of an own goal from Nashville defender Jack Maher. Under pressure from Christian Benteke, Maher turned David Schnegg’s cross into his own goal, putting his side behind by two goals.
With the deficit doubled, Nashville turned up the heat and responded within a minute. Under pressure in their own box, a DC United clearance took a wicked deflection off defender Lucas Bartlett. Goalkeeper Kim Joon Hong scrambled to cover his goal but Nashville forward Jonanthan Perez was first to pounce on the loose ball, volleying neatly from twelve yards out.
Having pulled a goal back, Nashville pushed with a series of chances through the rest of the half. Former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar and former D.C. United player Andy Najar both forced saves, and a stoppage time strike from Najar missed by inches. Ultimately, United held on to the one-goal lead and the teams returned to the locker room with the visitors ahead by a score of 2-1.
Despite the halftime deficit, the hosts were unphased according to assistant coach Michael Nsien
“At halftime, everyone is calm, focused on the tactics and what was at hand. How do we improve the second half?”
As the second half got started, defensive woes plagued visiting DC United. David Schnegg picked up a yellow card for shirt pulling, and things got worse as the referee determined Aaron Herrera handled a cross in the box, gifting a penalty to Nashville.
The host’s number nine Sam Surridge stepped up to take the penalty. After stuttering to let the keeper dive, Surridge cooly placed his kick straight down the middle. Parity was restored after 53 minutes, 2-2.
Traffic quickly became one way as the floodgates opened for Nashville. In the 72nd minute, Jonathan Perez dribbled in from the touchline and delivered an inch perfect cross to Surridge in a crowded box. Surridge tapped in from two yards out to put Nashville ahead for the first time.
In the 81st minute, Nashville defender Andy Najar was waiting for scraps following a corner, meeting a headed clearance with a perfect volley. The keeper was rooted as the ball snuck in the side netting from 30 yards out. Nashville was up 4-2.
The final goal was perhaps the sweetest as Nashville captain Walker Zimmerman returned from international duty to score a goal and propel his team to their first ever Open Cup Semifinal. Gaston Brugman’s inswinging cross found Zimmerman’s perfectly timed run as the captain headed in the final goal in the 87th minute. It was Zimmerman’s first career US Open Cup goal.
“It was great to come back, get on the field for five or ten minutes, contribute with a goal,” Zimmerman commented after the game.
Cheers erupted around the stadium as the final whistle blew and Nashville confirmed their greatest ever victory in the Open Cup and a spot in the final four.
With Nashville now just two wins away from becoming the first Tennessee team to win the US Open Cup, the team is beginning to dream of silverware.
“It would be awesome,” said Zimmerman. “It’s something we’ve talked about from the beginning of preseason, we emphasized wanting to be not only the first soccer team, but the first professional sports team to win a trophy in Tennessee.”
Nashville SC will have to wait until Aug. 13 to find out their next round opponent. If the Red Bulls win, Nashville will travel to New Jersey, but if the Union advance, Nashville will host. The Semifinals are scheduled for the week of Sept. 16-17.