Nashville Hosts Philadelphia in Cup Semifinal Clash

Nashville SC faces Philadelphia Union on Tuesday night in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal, with a trip to the Oct. 1 final at stake. The winner will travel to meet either Minnesota United or Austin FC for the trophy.

For Nashville, the match comes at a pivotal juncture. The club is eager to shake off the sting of a last-minute weekend loss to FC Cincinnati and extend its fairytale Cup run. After routing D.C. United 5-2 in July, the Boys in Gold reached the semifinal for the first time and now sit just two wins away from their first silverware.

League form has dipped, with five defeats in the last six matches pushing Nashville from second to fourth in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Yet the Union, Eastern Conference leaders, have struggled against them this year, dropping both league encounters by a combined 4-1. Philadelphia, despite reaching three finals (2014, 2015, 2018), has never lifted the U.S. Open Cup.

There is also a homecoming angle. Nashville coach BJ Callaghan, a contender for MLS Coach of the Year, spent five seasons with Philadelphia as an assistant before joining the U.S. national team staff in 2019. Since taking charge in Nashville in 2024, he has gone 2-2 against his former club, including the team’s first-ever home and away wins over the Union.

Nashville’s league campaign has leaned heavily on Sam Surridge, the Golden Boot leader with 21 goals, and MVP candidate Hany Mukhtar with 14. But in Cup play, the story has been different: seven of nine goals have come from across the roster, giving the Boys in Gold a balanced attack at the right time.