Soccer <\/p>\n
Despite the South Florida rain, Nashville SC<\/a>\u2019s joy was palpable, as vibrant as their bright gold kits as they celebrated on the soggy pitch of an adversary that\u2019s inflicted so much heartbreak on them over the past three years.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Thanks to the away goals rule, the second leg 1-1 draw<\/a> in Fort Lauderdale \u2013 perhaps the most momentous draw in the club\u2019s history \u2013 was enough to see the Music City side past Inter Miami CF<\/a> and into the 2026\u00a0Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> quarterfinals Wednesday night, a stunning upset of Lionel Messi<\/a> & Co. in the tournament the Herons prize most.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a group right now in that locker room that has a lot of belief in what we’re doing,\u201d Nashville head coach B.J. Callaghan said postgame, praising his squad for summoning their best selves against the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you saw that throughout the night, just a relentless spirit that continued to fight no matter what was happening on the field. They stuck together the whole time, they were rewarded with the goal, and they finished the game strong.<\/p>\n \u201cJust really proud of the entire group, and a real team performance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Espinoza scores for Nashville! \ud83d\udca5 pic.twitter.com\/r0Ik0rTmQI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n After last week\u2019s first-leg scoreless draw<\/a> at GEODIS Park left the series finely balanced, this momentous evening started in the worst possible fashion for Callaghan\u2019s team: A very early Messi strike, the\u00a0900th<\/a> of his glittering career and his 16th in 12 meetings with Nashville.<\/p>\n Yet the visitors responded to tension with tenacity, keeping their composure and pressing fiercely to prevent Miami from padding their advantage. With the Herons seemingly content to manage matters and milk the clock, it left the door open for Nashville.<\/p>\n Cristian Espinoza<\/a> seized the moment in the 74th\u00a0minute, unbalancing the IMCF defense with a slashing run into the box that eventually led to an emphatic side volley past Dayne St. Clair<\/a>, a goal that\u00a0will reverberate across MLS and beyond.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was truly a sad night, filled with deep disappointment. We had high hopes for this competition, but today we find ourselves out of the running,\u201d lamented Miami head coach Javier Mascherano in Spanish.<\/p>\n \u201cWe certainly had chances, opportunities to convert another goal or two, especially in the first half. But, well, the match was clearly always in jeopardy, as we were up against a formidable opponent.<\/p>\n \u201cI have nothing to reproach the players for; they gave it their absolute all. And of course, I am the one responsible for this elimination.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The goal that secured our spot in @TheChampions<\/a> quarterfinals \ud83e\udd29\u26bd\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/OwxMIrKzat<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Miami have owned Nashville since Messi\u2019s 2023 arrival, beating them in that year\u2019s\u00a0Leagues Cup<\/a> final, eliminating them from CCC the following season and ending their Audi MLS Cup Playoffs run last autumn. It all adds up to an 8W-1L-4D record\u00a0against them across all competitions.<\/p>\n Fittingly, it was newcomer Espinoza \u2013 the showcase winter free agent signing billed as a crowning piece<\/a> to push the Coyotes to the next level \u2013 who made the difference for Nashville.<\/p>\n \u201cCristian’s a guy who carries himself with a great level of humility, hunger, hard work. He embodies everything that we’re about,\u201d said Callaghan. \u201cThat goal epitomizes what he’s about, which is a relentless sort of spirit and fight. He’s been a great addition to the team.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, one goal I think gives you sort of the spotlight, but the way we see him come to work every single day, and the way he’s integrated in the team and how humble he is, none of us are surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Four more teams are through to the Quarterfinals! \ud83c\udfc6 pic.twitter.com\/TYQANlV5mP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Nashville\u2019s reward for slaying one giant? A duel with another: LIGA MX heavyweights Club Am\u00e9rica, who held off the Philadelphia Union<\/a> in Mexico later in the evening. Miami, meanwhile, must defer their CCC dreams again, conduct the usual postmortems and refocus on league action.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is that we created practically no chances \u2013 very few, if any \u2013 aside from the occasional shot,\u201d admitted Mascherano of his side\u2019s \u201cdesperate\u201d end to what he called an \u201cuncomfortable\u201d match for the Herons. \u201cThis was partly due to our own shortcomings and partly due to the quality of our opponent.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a sad feeling to have fallen short along the way, but we have to pick ourselves up, keep going, and look toward the future … There\u2019s nothing left to do now but get to work \u2013 or as we like to say, swallow our frustrations and learn from the mistakes we made, myself first and foremost, and bounce back.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n \n
Rising to the occasion<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Newcomer to the rescue<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Looking ahead<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n