Sam Surridge Shines as Nashville SC Advances to U.S. Open Cup Semifinals

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Sam Surridge led Nashville SC to a remarkable comeback victory against D.C. United, scoring twice in a 5-2 win in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals on Wednesday night.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first half, Nashville, spurred on by its home crowd at GEODIS Park, rallied to score five unanswered goals and secure a place in the tournament’s semifinals for the first time.

D.C. United opened the scoring early, with Gabriel Pirani finding the net just four minutes into the match. The visitors doubled their lead with an own goal from Nashville defender Jack Maher in the 24th minute.

Nashville quickly responded, as Jonathan Pérez scored in the 25th minute, bringing the score to 2-1 just moments after Maher’s own goal.

The hosts continued to press for an equalizer, and their persistence paid off in the 53rd minute when Surridge converted a penalty kick to level the match at 2-2.

Surridge then scored again in the 72nd minute, tapping in a cross from Pérez to put Nashville ahead for the first time. Goals from Andy Najar in the 81st minute and Walker Zimmerman in the 87th sealed the victory.

The announced crowd of 21,238 set a record for Nashville SC, marking the largest attendance in U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal history.

“It feels amazing,” Surridge said after the match. “I’m glad to contribute to the team and help us move forward in such an important competition.”

With this victory, Nashville SC is now two wins away from becoming the first professional sports team in Tennessee to win a major trophy.