Sam Surridge's Brace Powers Nashville SC Past New England Revolution 4-1

Sam Surridge signed a contract extension on Saturday, and by Saturday night he had already started paying it back. The Nashville SC striker scored in the fifth minute, scored again in the 16th, and Nashville spent the rest of the evening turning its season opener into a statement, beating the New England Revolution 4-1 in front of 25,044 fans at GEODIS Park.

Hany Mukhtar and Warren Madrigal added goals, Madrigal set up Mukhtar on his MLS debut, and New England's only reply was a Leonardo Campana finish early in the second half. Nashville outshot the Revs 14-4 and put eight shots on target to New England's one. That is not a game. That is a hostile takeover.

Surridge Wastes No Time

Nashville's first move was a warning shot: in the second minute, Madrigal crossed and Surridge's header forced Matt Turner into a save. Three minutes later came a flurry around the New England box. Madrigal had a shot blocked, Jeisson Palacios fired wide after a corner, and Surridge pounced from very close range for a right-footed finish into the bottom left corner. Nashville's club notes said he jumped on a Madrigal deflection. 1-0.

The second came in the 16th minute. Turner stopped one Surridge effort from very close range, but in that same minute Surridge headed in from point-blank range to make it 2-0. Two goals for Surridge, and the evening was barely a quarter of an hour old.

New England's best first-half moments ran through Carles Gil. He sent Campana away on a break in the 27th, but Campana's left-footed shot went over, and Ethan Kohler missed to the right from a Gil set piece in the 32nd.

Nashville put the game away in the 39th. Madrigal teed up Mukhtar, who smashed it into the roof of the net from very close range. 3-0. The Revs then lost Will Sands to an injury, with Tanner Beason replacing him, and the first half ran seven minutes over after a stoppage for injuries.

A Two-Minute Revs Revival, Then Nothing

New England came out of the break with something. In the 47th minute, Gil crossed and Campana guided a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner. 3-1. The AP noted Campana had five goals in five preseason matches, and for a moment the Revs had a pulse.

It lasted two minutes. Turner saved a Surridge shot in the 49th, and Madrigal, per Nashville, followed up on the rebound and finished right-footed into the bottom left corner. 4-1. Griffin Yow had been booked a minute earlier for New England, and the visitors managed one more real chance all night.

The Turning Point: Madrigal's Answer

If there was a moment New England could have made this interesting, it was right after Campana's goal. Madrigal shut that door almost instantly. Nashville did not need a fifth; it simply managed the rest of the night. B.J. Callaghan sent on Alex Muyl for Madrigal in the 61st minute and rotated through his bench, and the best late chances were an Ilay Feingold shot that flew just over the top right corner for New England in the 85th and a Turner save in the 89th.

Star Watch

Sam Surridge put all five of his shots on target and scored twice before he was replaced by Woobens Pacius in the 82nd. MLS noted he finished tied for second in last season's Golden Boot race with 24 goals, and that he also scored in a midweek Concacaf Champions Cup win. The AP reported the extension runs through the 2027-28 season with an option for 2028-29.

"That's what I've looked for in my career, I think, where I feel loved and feel wanted, and Nashville have given me that," Surridge said.

Warren Madrigal had a goal and an assist in 61 minutes on his MLS debut, per ESPN's data. Nashville said the 21-year-old Costa Rican, acquired from Deportivo Saprissa in December, became the first player in club history to register an assist and two or more points in his MLS debut.

Hany Mukhtar scored and kept his partnership with Surridge humming. MLS said the pair combined for 40 goals and 17 assists last season. Callaghan's take on their output was the line of the night: "I hope I never get used to it!"

Brian Schwake, making his MLS debut in goal according to the AP, did not record a save. At the other end, Turner made four and still conceded four.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Nashville 14 with 8 on target; New England 4 with 1 on target.
• Possession: Nashville 55.4 percent, New England 44.6 percent.
• Saves: Turner 4, Schwake 0.
• Passing: Nashville completed 539 of 610 passes; New England completed 440 of 488.
• Clearances: New England 29, Nashville 12.

What It Means

Nashville opens at 1-0-0 with 3 points and visits FC Dallas on Feb. 28. The club came into the season, in MLS's words, widely touted as a potential MLS Cup contender after winning the U.S. Open Cup last year in Callaghan's first full season in charge. The AP added that Callaghan signed his own extension on Monday and that 2025 brought franchise records for wins, unbeaten streak and goals. With new pieces like Madrigal, Cristian Espinoza and Maxwell Woledzi joining a core that stayed together, the ceiling looks high.

New England starts at 0-0-1 with 0 points. Gil was behind the Revs' best moments, and Campana's goal was a small positive, but a back line that was opened up repeatedly before halftime will be the focus of the week.

Closing Take

Some opening nights feel like a soft launch. Nashville's felt like a sold-out arena tour kicking off with the greatest hits. Surridge got his new contract earlier in the day and two goals by the 16th minute, and the Revs spent 90 minutes discovering what the rest of the league may learn the hard way this spring.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by mlssoccer.com; additional reporting from the AP via ESPN and Nashville SC (nashvillesc.com).