Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar scored two goals apiece in a four-goal first half for host Nashville SC in a dominating 5-1 rout over Orlando City SC on Saturday night.
Nashville (15-8-5, 50 points) improved to 10-1-3 at home, ended a three-game losing streak and moved within two points of second-place FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference.
Surridge moved past Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi (19 goals) in the race for the Golden Boot by getting his 19th and 20th goals. He scored twice for the fifth time this season in MLS matches and the ninth time in his career.
Mukhtar notched his 13th and 14th goals, scored twice for the second time this season and finished with his 17th career multi-goal showing in MLS matches.
Surridge scored in the second minute and the 43rd minute while Mukhtar struck in the 17th and 40th. Jeisson Palacios scored in second-half stoppage time while Mukhtar, Josh Bauer and Jacob Shaffelburg collected two assists apiece.
Luis Muriel scored in the 76th minute for Orlando City before getting ejected for a red card a few minutes later. Orlando City (13-7-8, 47 points) saw a four-game winning streak stopped and they hold a one-point lead over Miami for fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis made three saves. Orlando’s Pedro Gallese allowed five goals on nine shots.
Surridge opened the scoring when Orlando’s Dagur Thorhallsson had a pass from midfield headed away by a defender near the Nashville net. Nashville quickly moved up the field and Mukhtar finished off a shot from about 10 yards out after getting by Orlando’s Kyle Smith and Rodrigo Schlegel.
Nashville capitalized on another miscue for a 2-0 lead. After Schlegel fanned on a header following a Nashville throw-in, Mukhtar blasted a shot into the top right corner.
Mukhtar made it 3-0 by getting by Smith and Schlagel and reaching the bottom right corner after getting a pass from Shaffelburg.
Surridge capped the dominant half by finishing off a header with his back to the net after beating Schlegel to the ball.
–Field Level Media
