AUSTIN, Texas — On Wednesday night, Nashville SC won the U.S. Open Cup. The Boys In Gold took down Austin FC at Q2 Stadium, with goals from Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge powering them to a 2-1 win.
The victory gives Nashville the first trophy in its history. It’s fitting that their first piece of silverware is the Open Cup, the only tournament that they played in during all three stages of their time as a club — MLS, USL and NPSL. It’s also the first championship trophy won by any major professional sports team in Tennessee history, making a historic achievement even more special.
“I think the only word you can come up with is proud,” Nashville head coach B.J. Callaghan told media after the game. “I think when you bring together a group of guys from all walks of life across the whole world … and bringing them behind a vision that we wanted to compete for trophies this year and committing to that on January 10th when we got together, to do what you say you’re going to do, I think gives us just a tremendous amount of pride.”
All season long, Callaghan and Nashville have been adamant that they’re going to take the U.S. Open Cup seriously. Narratively, Callaghan has always been quick to point out the history of the tournament, treating it with a respect that has all too often been missing from MLS clubs. Practically, he’s preached its importance as the quickest route to a trophy, needing just five wins to earn a title and gain entry into the Concacaf Champions Cup, fulfilling one of Callaghan’s pillars of testing themselves against the elite of North America.
“We haven’t gotten a trophy yet, so it felt like something fresh and new and exciting for the city,” said club captain Walker Zimmerman. “I feel like we did it for something bigger than ourselves. I think there’s a lot of pride that the guys can take away from performing like that and really playing for something outside of themselves. It’s the team, the family, the city, and it’s really special.”
The win wasn’t altogether straightforward. Reserve goalkeeper Brian Schwake had to make a brilliant save from the penalty spot to deny Myrto Uzuni. He could do nothing to prevent Uzuni’s close-range shot just before halftime. Equalizing in front of a vibrant home crowd just before the break felt like it could be a pivotal momentum-shifter for Austin. Nashville weathered it.
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