Most everything about Sam Surridge is understated.
The Nashville SC striker is modest to a fault, always eager to pass on acclaim, and the credit, to his teammates. The tall Englishman’s one indulgence, and it’s a big one, bordering on gluttonous, is an insatiable hunger for goals.
“It’s always a great feeling to score,” said the 27-year-old forward, whose hat trick at GEODIS Park on Tuesday makes him the top-scorer in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup (4) and top marksman – ahead of even 2023 Open Cup Runner-up Lionel Messi – in Major League Soccer’s regular season (21).
“I just want to keep that feeling,” he said as his teammates celebrated booking a place in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup Final with a 3-1 win over MLS league leaders the Philadelphia Union. “It’s nice, but it’s the Semifinal so you don’t want to be satisfied. You want to keep it up and keep it going.”
Surridge’s three goals on the night, a pair of headers and a sumptuous volley, were the spark that set Nashville SC on the road to victory – and possibly glory.
It was a game that had a lot of what’s expected from the Open Cup, single-elimination knockout contests where tension mounts and aggravations boil over. There was controversy, pushing-the-line physicality, even some spilled blood from the head of Nashville dynamo Edvard Tagseth. Overall, a deep commitment from both sides created a gripping atmosphere with a place in the Final on the line.
“It was this team spirit that saw us through,” Surridge said, whose brilliance and nose for goal, his lurid lurking around the danger areas, tipped the contest toward the home team. “We’ve had this spirit all season long, and it really showed tonight. We came here and put in a performance and that just sets the stage for the rest of the Cup and the season.”
“Togetherness” was the former Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest forward’s response when asked what he considered to be the main factor that led to a Nashville victory. “We’re a very strong unit. In this part of the season, you’re bound to have some tired legs. We showed we can do it when we’re tired. We have to keep doing that.”
“One night,” was the terse response from proud Nashville SC coach, B.J. Callaghan, when asked how long his Open Cup Final-bound men would get to celebrate the achievement. There’s more business to come, and a league test against local rivals Orlando City this weekend.
“Semifinals are always the hardest games to get through, but the guys responded,” said the coach, whose star-turn as U.S. Men’s National Team interim boss in 2023 made him a cult figure in American soccer circles. “This team dug deep. That gives us the confidence now, when we move on to the Final, that we’re battle tested.”
There’s a palpable all-for-one-and-one-for-all feeling in the Nashville SC locker room, and the post-game celebrations on the field spoke to that fellow-feeling alive among these Coyotes. Predictably, the humble Surridge, hero of league and Cup and the man of the hour, made sure he shook the hand of every teammate before saluting the home fans.
“We’ve got another game right around the corner, so focus turns right to that,” said Surridge, always ready to work and, maybe, to indulge a little more in his vice. “Hopefully I can get another goal in the [Open Cup] Final, which is the main objective and, maybe, we can really celebrate then.”
You’d have to be brave to bet against more goals coming from the head and boots of the prolific Surridge. The next test in this Open Cup run, one with a first trophy in Nashville SC history on the line, comes on October 1st when they travel to face the winner of the Open Cup Semifinal between Minnesota United and Austin FC.
Fontela is editor-in-chief of usopencup.com. Follow him at @jonahfontela on X/Twitter.