Nashville SC opens 2026 MLS season with 4-1 win over Revolution in Mitrović debut
Nashville sets early tone at GEODIS Park
Nashville SC opened its 2026 Major League Soccer regular season on Saturday, Feb. 21, with a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution at GEODIS Park. The match marked the first competitive game in charge for new Revolution head coach Marko Mitrović, hired on Nov. 7, 2025, to lead New England into the 2026 season.
Nashville seized control quickly. Sam Surridge scored in the sixth minute and added a second in the 16th, giving the home side an early 2-0 cushion and forcing New England to chase the game from the opening quarter-hour.
Goals, turning points, and how the game unfolded
The hosts extended the lead before halftime when Hany Mukhtar finished from close range in the 39th minute to make it 3-0. New England responded early in the second half through Leo Campana in the 47th minute, briefly cutting the deficit to 3-1 and creating a potential opening for a comeback.
That window narrowed quickly. Nashville restored a three-goal margin when Warren Madrigal scored in the 49th minute, capping a night in which he also recorded two assists. Nashville’s ability to convert chances early and then answer immediately after conceding proved decisive.
- 6’ — Surridge puts Nashville ahead, 1-0
- 16’ — Surridge doubles the lead, 2-0
- 39’ — Mukhtar makes it 3-0
- 47’ — Campana pulls one back, 3-1
- 49’ — Madrigal scores to re-establish a three-goal lead, 4-1
Personnel notes: debuts, goalkeepers, and context
For Nashville, goalkeeper Brian Schwake made his MLS debut. On the opposite end, Matt Turner finished with four saves for New England. Nashville’s finishing and transition moments outweighed New England’s attempts to stabilize the match after the early deficit.
Surridge entered the opener after a high-scoring 2025 season, and the club announced earlier Saturday that he signed a contract extension running through the 2027–28 season, with an option for 2028–29.
What it means early in 2026
The result gives Nashville an opening-week win and hands New England a difficult start to Mitrović’s tenure. New England’s schedule continues with a road match at Red Bull New York on Feb. 28, before the club’s first home games of the season in early March.
Nashville’s fast start — two goals inside 16 minutes — shaped the tactical and psychological landscape of the opener, leaving New England with limited margin for error.