First Time Finalists Battle for the U.S. Open Cup

The capital city of Texas takes on Music City for the right to be called National Champions

Austin, TX- The 2025 U.S. Open Cup final will have two clubs from Major League Soccer battling it out for the right to be called the National Champions of American Soccer as Austin FC faces Nashville SC at the Q2 Stadium to hoist up over their heads the Lamar Hunt Trophy.

Nashville SC’s Road to the Final

A single goal by Josh Bauer gave the club the victory in the Tennessee Derby against Chattanooga Red Wolves of USL League One in the fourth round, then took on all MLS Opponents with a huge road victory at Orlando City in the fifth round, a destruction of DC United at home in the Quarterfinals. Sam Surridge scored a hat trick as the Philadelphia Union limped in from Vancouver in a three goals to one victory in the Semi-Finals.

Sam Surridge leads the way

In the last two matches for Nashville SC, Sam Surridge has been a man on a mission to lead his club to another Cup Final. Scored a brace in the quarterfinals against DC United while taking down the Union all by himself, being at the right place, at the right time. He will be hunting for goals to get the win.

B.J. Callaghan is ready for the final

After his short stint as the interim head coach at US Soccer, before Gregg Berhalter returned to his post, B.J. Callaghan managed the Men’s National Team to their second consecutive CONCACAF Nations League Final with a three goal clean sheet victory over Mexico in the Semi-Finals, then a two goal clean sheet victory over Canada managed by John Herdman.

Took a different squad to the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup and reached the Semi-Finals, losing to Panama in penalties. That small sample size of what Callaghan could do as a head coach sent signals across MLS, and he took the call from Nashville SC. Having a solid season, they are now 90 minutes or more away from giving the state of Tennessee its first championship in professional sports.

“I think for us it’s something we spoke about when we got together in preseason. We wanted to pursue trophies aligned with sort of the ambitions of the club, and we’re one step away from that. It’s been sort of a culmination of everyone pitching in throughout the journey of the Open Cup. A lot of big performances by a lot of players on the team, and I think everybody’s focused and excited, and prepared to put in a good performance.”

Austin FC’s Road to the Final

Austin was down two goals to USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive at home until a miraculous comeback led by Brandon Vasquez’s Brace with a three goals to two win in the 4th round. They traveled to Houston to defeat the Dynamo three goals to one in the 5th round. defeating the San Jose Earthquakes in penalties after a two goal draw in the quarterfinals.

Finally, a thrilling victory in the last minute of extra time when C.J. Fodrey scored a rebound shot that just passed Dayne St. Claire and knocked out the home side, Minnesota United FC, by a final score of two goals to one, which allowed them to make the final.

It all started with a comeback

When facing a lower division side like El Paso Locomotive, they had a chip on their shoulder to take down Austin FC. The first two goals of that fourth round match felt as if Austin had nothing in their bag to survive since their MLS season looked to be in shambles. Then Brandon Vazquez opened and closed the scoring with Myrto Uzuni’s equalizer. Three goals in seven minutes saved their Open Cup lives up to this point.

Nico Estevez Is Excited to play the final

This is a big run for the club, after firing Josh Wolff at the end of the 2024 season and bringing over Nico Estevez after he was let go by FC Dallas in June of last year. Now he is getting ready to battle and match wits with B.J. Callaghan for this huge final.

“It’s a very intense game. On a defensive level, a team that puts pressure on you that leads you to make mistakes, as we’ve seen in recent games against rivals. Therefore, we have to be very focused. We have to be very well-positioned. We have to play at a high level to be able to overcome that pressure.

We’ll take any chance, 5 or 4. We’re not going to give away any clues. It’s true that we’re very happy with how we’ve played both with 4 and 5, and we’ll choose the best way to play against Nashville. But well, we’re prepared with a very clear plan, and we’re eager to be able to perform.”

Austin FC Hosts Nashville SC at the Q2 Stadium, Wednesday, October 1st, 7 PM Eastern – 6 PM Central for an hour-long pregame, 8 PM Eastern – 7 PM Central Kickoff/broadcast time. Live on CBS Sports Network and Streaming on Paramount+.

US Open Cup News:

• Austin FC’s Late Winner in Extra Time puts them in Open Cup Final
• Sam Surridge Hat Trick Puts Nashville SC in Open Cup Finals
• 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Record 146 Clubs Set to Battle in Historic Qualifying Campaign

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