Scouting Nashville SC: What FC Dallas Needs to Know BigSoccer.com
Next up for FC Dallas is a doozy, Nashville SC. The Coyotes are fresh off a big 4-1 win over the New England Revolution in their season opener. And yeah, they looked like what we all expected this Nashville side to look like. Dangerous. Direct. And annoying as hell to try and defend.
Nashville didn’t grind out that opener, either. Their attack, lead by a trio of Designated Players is humming along already like we’re in June. The defensive structure held things together thanks to a higher press that causes a bit of chaos, and they punish you in a big way if you turn the ball over.
Nashville also followed up that season-opener with a big win on Tuesday night in the Concacaf Champions Cup over Ottawa, winning 5-0 at home to advance to the next round, where they’ll face Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
This is a different test for FC Dallas than last week against Toronto FC. Nashville doesn’t beat themselves, they force you to do that. If Dallas wants six points from their first two home matches in 2026, this is the kind of opponent that will let us know if these dogs truly have the bite in them or not.
Let’s dig into Nasvhille.
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Potential Lineup & Tactic Style:
Nashville typically plays out of a 4-2-2-2 shape. Last season, they finished in the top 10 teams in MLS in short passes attempted and average vertical passing distance.
Schwake, Lovitz, Woledzi, Palacios, Najar; Tagseth, Yazbek; Muyl, Espinoza; Surridge, Mukhtar
Projected XI:
- Offensive tendencies - Only Red Bulls and LAFC posted more xG in the opening week than Nashville. This front group is lively, aggressive and will cause issues for anyone in this league.
- Defensive shape - This group will press more than most realize.
Key Player: Sam Surridge
While Nashville also has former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar and possibly one of the most underrated attackers in the league in Cristian Espinoza, I believe Surridge is the guy you really have to keep an eye on the most in this group. He had 27 goal contributions a season ago, and in week one, he was dominant against the Revs with two goals.
Key Matchup: Sebastien Ibeagha vs Hany Mukhtar/Cristian Espinoza
It’s possible we’ll see Shaq Moore take on Mukhtar instead of Ibeagha, but that would mean Ibeagha would be against Espinoza. Either way, I think the veteran defense has his work cut out for him this weekend. Nashville will expose this side of the Dallas defense.
Availability Report1:
Suspended: none
Out: none
Questionable: none
On Loan: none
International duty: none
Quick Notes:
All-time at Dallas: Nashville is 2-1-1 in four all-time meetings at Toyota Stadium.
Week one result: It was a beating, as they downed New England 4-1 at home. Surridge had two goals. Mukhtar had one as well.
Where they're at in the standings: After dominating the New England Revolution in week one, Nashville sits tied atop the Eastern Conference standings with three points and a plus-three goal differential.
Comparing the two clubs: We don’t have comparison charts from this season, yet. But here is a look at how the two teams finished up 2025.
The free stuff tells you what happened. A paid subscription tells you why it happened, what it means for FC Dallas, and what’s coming next—before anyone else catches up.
Three keys for FC Dallas
- Limit the crosses: One thing that Eric Quill called out after last week’s win over Toronto was how the Reds were able to get a lot of crosses into the penalty area. Thankfully for Dallas, Toronto isn’t nearly as lethal as Nashville will be inside the penalty area. Dallas has to find a way to be more aggressive along the wings and limit what gets sent into their penalty area.
- Eliminate the sloppiness: The Dallas midfield also had themselves a bit of a rough night, despite the win, in Week One. Ramiro, Kaick and Chris Cappis need to be more alert and on the same page, but also we need a better performance out of Bernard Kamungo and Herman Johansson along the wings. Nashville punishes teams who give away the ball easily in their defensive end. The passes have to be crisp. They have to be on target. If not, it is going to be a rough night.
- Pick your moments: We know this Dallas side is going to absorb pressure in this game and wait for their chances on the counter attack. It worked out well in the first week and this could be a game where both Johansson and Kamungo could have big outings if they pick their spots right to get forward and assist in the attack. Dallas should be able to stretch the field in this one and give Nashville some nervy moments, but they also have to be smart about it and make the most of those moments.
1 Note: MLS has an injury report deadline that doesn’t hit until the day before each game. Our scouting reports will include last week's report and will be fully updated the day before with our injury report for FC Dallas.
