Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar lead Nashville rout of Cincinnati

Sam Surridge scored his 13th goal, Hany Mukhtar added his 10th and Nashville SC continued its record-threatening pace with a 4-0 rout of visiting FC Cincinnati on Saturday night.

Substitutes Bryan Acosta and Ahmed Qasem also scored late as Nashville (16-2-4, 52 points) won its fourth straight to maintain its 10-point lead over Inter Miami atop the Eastern Conference.

Surridge and Mukhtar were among those with assists for the Coyotes, who are on pace to finish the season with 80 points. That would shatter the MLS record of 74 earned by Inter Miami during the 2024 regular season.

Cincinnati (8-7-7, 31 points) was held scoreless for only the third time this season and the first since March. The club conceded four or more goals for a fifth time this season.

It sits sixth in the East, three points ahead of New York City FC and three behind New England.

Surridge connected in the 43rd minute on the end of an excellent attack that began on the right flank.

Cristian Espinoza played a give-and-go combination with Andy Najar to work into the right corner, then curled an arcing cross to the back post.

Surridge met it there, rising above Pavel Bucha to head it past keeper Roman Celentano and over the line.

Mukhtar doubled the lead in the 54th minute, this time on an attack down the left.

Elias Saad picked up the ball in his half before combining with Surridge to move up that left flank.

From there, Saad guided a low cross back to the penalty area, with Mukhtar meeting it with a well-placed low finish.

After being outshot 10-1 before halftime, Cincinnati posed a greater threat in the second half, especially after trailing by multiple goals.

The club came closest to scoring in the 71st minute. After keeper Brian Schwake denied Ayoub Jabbari's initial effort, defender Maxwell Woledzi somehow retreated in time to keep out a second effort.

Nashville scored twice afterward, with Acosta finding the bottom corner on Mukhtar's feed outside the area in the 90th minute, and Qasem finishing off a 1-on-1 break in second-half stoppage time.