Sam Surridge Brace and Two Patrick Yazbek Assists Lift Nashville SC Past Minnesota United 3-1

Sam Surridge has played two MLS games this season. He has scored two goals in both of them. At this point, defenders should probably just start marking him in the tunnel.

Surridge struck in the 26th and 47th minutes, both times on assists from Patrick Yazbek, and Cristian Espinoza added his first Nashville SC goal as Nashville beat Minnesota United 3-1 on Saturday night at GEODIS Park. Nectarios Triantis scored a stunner for the Loons in between, but the hosts were simply sharper, and the crowd of 24,387 went home with Nashville unbeaten through five matches across all competitions.

Minnesota Pressed, Nashville Answered

Minnesota came out with intent. The Loons' own recap described an aggressive press in the opening minutes, and Tomás Chancalay and Kelvin Yeboah both had early efforts from distance. But Nashville settled and started finding gaps. Edvard Tagseth hit the right post with a left-footed shot from outside the box in the 17th minute, and three minutes later Hany Mukhtar had two shots blocked in the same minute that Surridge headed an Espinoza cross high and wide.

The breakthrough in the 26th minute was a lovely little team move. Minnesota's recap described a Mukhtar backheel that set Yazbek free, and Yazbek's left-footed shot from the right side of the box got the faintest of touches from Surridge at point-blank range. 1-0.

Seven minutes later it was two. Mukhtar tried his luck from distance, Drake Callender made the save, and according to Minnesota the shot bounced awkwardly in front of him and the rebound fell to Espinoza, who finished from close range into the top left corner. The club called Espinoza its newest Designated Player, and it was his first goal for Nashville.

Triantis Brings the Thunder

Minnesota had an answer almost immediately. Two minutes after the second goal, Joaquín Pereyra found Triantis, who hit a right-footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner. Minnesota's recap put it at 25 yards and called it a wonder strike. Hard to argue.

That made it 2-1, and the Loons nearly found an equalizer in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time when Morris Duggan's header from the left side of the six-yard box forced a save from Brian Schwake. Halftime came with the result still up for grabs.

The Dagger

It stayed that way for about two minutes. In the 47th minute Yazbek found Surridge on the right side of the box, and the striker fired a right-footed shot into the top right corner. 3-1. Minnesota's recap called it the dagger that sucked the air out of the match, and that is about right.

The rest of the half was a slog for the visitors. Jefferson Díaz forced Schwake into a save from distance in the 54th, Chancalay had a shot blocked and another go wide from distance in the 69th minute, and Duggan, Yeboah and Mamadou Dieng all put headers off target in the last 15 minutes. Nashville managed the game, and Callender kept the score from growing by saving a Mukhtar attempt from more than 35 yards in the 84th minute.

Who Ran the Show

Sam Surridge: Two shots on target, two goals. The club said he now has five goals in three matches across all competitions this season and has scored braces in both of his MLS appearances. It was his 11th regular-season multi-goal game and his eighth regular-season brace, according to Nashville, and it brought him to 50 career MLS goal contributions. For context, the club noted he set Nashville records last year with 25 MLS goals and 31 in all competitions.

Patrick Yazbek: Two assists and Man of the Match honors, per the club. Both of his passes for Surridge were precise, and he also had two shots of his own. Nashville said it was the second multi-point game of his MLS career.

Cristian Espinoza: A goal, three shots and constant danger down the right. The club noted he is fourth among active players in career MLS regular-season goal contributions with 121.

Hany Mukhtar: Five shots, two on target, and involvement in the first two goals. No goal for the captain, but plenty of influence.

For Minnesota, Triantis was the bright spot, and the club singled out the MNUFC debut of defender Kyle Duncan, who came on in the 75th minute, as another highlight.

The Turning Point

The 47th minute. Minnesota had battled back to 2-1 and was within striking distance at halftime. Surridge's second goal, barely two minutes into the second half, took the energy out of the comeback before it started.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Nashville 15, Minnesota 14. On target: Nashville 6, Minnesota 3.
• Possession: Nashville 57.6 percent, Minnesota 42.4 percent.
• Passing: Nashville completed 495 of 573 passes; Minnesota completed 353 of 428.
• Saves: Callender 4, Schwake 2.
• Clearances: Minnesota made 33 to Nashville's 18, a fair measure of how much time the Loons spent defending.

What It Means

Nashville is 2-1-0 with 7 points after a 4-1 home win over New England and a 0-0 draw at FC Dallas. The club said it is the first time Nashville has won four of its first five matches across all competitions, and its 14 goals through those five matches are a club record. It has also earned seven points from its first three MLS games for the first time since 2023, per the club.

Schwake added a piece of history too. According to Nashville, he is the only goalkeeper in club history to win nine of his first 10 starts and to go unbeaten in his first 10 starts. Andy Nájar made his 200th career MLS appearance, counting playoffs, and Reed Baker-Whiting made his Nashville SC MLS debut. Next up is the first leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 tie against Inter Miami at GEODIS Park on Wednesday, March 11.

Minnesota drops to 1-1-1 with 4 points after a 2-2 draw at Austin and a 1-0 home win over Cincinnati. This was the club's first loss of the 2026 regular season. The Loons visit Vancouver next Sunday.

Closing Take

Nashville has a striker who scores twice whenever he plays, a midfielder who sets him up and a goalkeeper who has not lost in 10 starts. That combination is a cheat code. Minnesota got a highlight from Triantis and a debut from Duncan, but Saturday belonged to Surridge, and he is making a habit of that.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Club notes from Nashville SC (nashvillesc.com) and Minnesota United (mnufc.com).