Sam Surridge opened the scoring before halftime and Brian Schwake capped his league‑best 12th clean sheet as Nashville SC locked in a playoff spot with a 3‑0 win over Chicago Fire on Saturday night.
Holding the top spot in the Eastern Conference, Nashville also leads the Supporters’ Shield chase and remains the only MLS side unbeaten at home, boasting 12 victories in 13 matches.
Surridge’s 33rd‑minute strike gave Nashville a 1‑0 edge that survived the break, while Cristian Espinoza added insurance in the 78th and Hany Mukhtar sealed the margin in the 87th.
The goal marked Surridge’s 16th of the season, Espinoza’s fourth and Mukhtar’s 11th, as Nashville’s entire attack found the net.
Schwake, a 25‑year‑old rookie starter, recorded one save and has allowed just 21 goals in 26 starts. For my money, his poise makes him a league standout.
Epic Sporting KC collapse gives Philadelphia Union a 4‑3 comeback victory
Teenagers Bruno Damiani, Cavan Sullivan and Milan Iloski each scored within five minutes of the second half for Philadelphia, and an own goal helped the Union edge Sporting Kansas City 4‑3, extending their unbeaten run to 11 with a fifth straight win.
Philadelphia joins a tiny club of MLS sides that have overturned a three‑goal deficit, a feat Orlando City also achieved earlier this year against Inter Miami.