Nashville SC ties San Jose 1-1, clinches first place in Eastern Conference
Hany Mukhtar scored his 16th MLS goal of the season as Nashville secured home-field advantage through the Eastern Conference playoff rounds.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Nashville SC tied the San Jose Earthquakes 1-1 on Saturday night at PayPal Park and clinched first place in MLS' Eastern Conference for the first time in club history, according to the club's official match recap. The result guarantees Nashville home-field advantage at GEODIS Park through the Eastern Conference rounds of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the club said.
Hany Mukhtar scored in the 34th minute, his 16th MLS goal of the season and his sixth in five matches. Preston Judd tied it for San Jose in the 70th minute, assisted by Eduard Lowen. Brian Schwake made two saves for Nashville.
Nashville is 20-3-7 with 67 points and leads the MLS standings by 12 points with four matches left, according to the club. It has gone six matches without a loss.
Nashville visits CF Montréal at Stade Saputo on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 12:30 p.m. Central.
Source: Nashville SC, match recap, Oct. 17, 2026 (https://www.nashvillesc.com/news/renasant-recap-nashville-soccer-club-clinches-first-place-in-eastern-conference).