Did a Dream Bobblehead Night Make Nashville SC MLS Cup Favorites?

No team has looked as dangerous as the Coyotes across MLS in 2026.

Sam Surridge had a memorable bobblehead night at GEODIS Park. | Chris Carter/MLS/Getty Images

It was Sam Surridge bobblehead night and it couldn’t have gone any better for the Nashville SC frontman. 

Fresh off advancing past Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Nashville put in a thunderous effort against Orlando City with a 5–0 win to move to four wins and a draw in their first five MLS games.

Cristian Espinoza, signed in free agency after the San Jose Earthquakes reportedly “forgot” to pick up his option, scored one of the best goals of the season so far, and Surridge scored a hat-trick to bring him to an MLS Golden Boot-leading seven goals in four matches.

Not a bad way to enjoy a night where your bobblehead is given away. 

“It’s amazing for everyone to come and obviously support the bobblehead and support the team and me,” Surridge chuckled when speaking to reporters after the match. “So yeah, it’s a special night ... I just want more nights like this.”

Sam Surridge after bagging a hat-trick on his bobblehead night, putting him at 8 goals in 7 games: “We want that relentless mindset. We want to give teams no hope when we go up.” pic.twitter.com/a6b2QaRaat

— Ben Wright (@benwright) March 22, 2026

Flying high in MLS and now into the Champions Cup quarterfinals, the Coyotes have become MLS Cup and Champions Cup contenders like never before. 

Already, they’ve proven better than Miami, and while LAFC are yet to concede a goal in five Western Conference games, no team in MLS has matched the vibes Nashville SC is building. In Concacaf, they’ll also be confident against Liga MX giants Club América. 

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Attacking Like Few Others

Hany Mukhtar (left) and Cristian Espinoza (right) have been stellar with Nashville SC this season. | Chris Carter/MLS/Getty Images

Nashville has had spells among the best in MLS before, but this time seems different. 

Hany Mukhtar won MLS MVP in 2022 and has, arguably, been the league’s best player outside of Messi in the last half-decade. Surridge has been the perfect striker as well. Yet Espinoza’s addition— somehow, as a free signing—has been transformative. 

How did Cristian Espinoza sneak this in near post ⁉️👀 pic.twitter.com/pUoejOqEbB

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 21, 2026

“We’re challenging each other to have a strong mentality, to have a winning mentality, and I think Hany Mukhtar led that in terms of just his energy and the encouragement and the demand that he gives the team. I thought we fed off of his energy,” manager B.J Callaghan said Saturday.

“When we get these chances, we need to finish them, and by finishing early, it kind of lets us control the game.”

Callaghan, too, has quickly established himself among MLS’s elite, now in his second full season on the Tennessee touchline, after leading the club to the state’s first professional sports championship in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup. 

After leading the U.S. men’s national team to the 2023 Concacaf Nations League title, he has brought those strong processes and tactical outlook to Nashville, establishing one of the league’s preeminent projects. 

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Surridge’s Golden Boot Hunt

Sam Surridge finished behind only Lionel Messi in the 2025 MLS Golden Boot standings. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

With teammates providing more chances than ever, Surridge is an early favorite for the 2026 Golden Boot, especially given Messi’s struggles and shift away from playing center forward with Inter Miami. 

“I just wanted to carry on the back of last season,” the English striker said, having scored 24 goals to finish second behind Messi in the Golden Boot race last season. 

“I haven’t changed anything I do off the pitch. I’ve carried on working hard, and hopefully that shows on the pitch. I think as a team there’s a change in mentality. We definitely had a great mentality last year, but we want to have a better mindset this season.”

The sky is the limit now for Surridge, his attacking partners and Nashville, and with how things are going, MLS and Concacaf glory should be within reach. 

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