On August 2, 2025, Nashville SC hosted English Premier League side Aston Villa in a thrilling pre-season friendly at Geodis Park that ended in a 2-2 draw, showcasing a spirited comeback from the home team. This encounter marked Nashville’s first-ever match against a club from one of Europe’s "big five" leagues, and the game lived up to expectations with end-to-end action and notable individual performances.
Aston Villa, who finished sixth in the 2024-25 Premier League season and reached the Champions League quarterfinals, came into the match with a squad valued at more than 15 times that of Nashville SC, whose roster is worth just under $40 million. Despite the significant difference in squad value and pedigree, Nashville proved their mettle, rallying from a two-goal deficit to secure a draw in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
The match kicked off at 5:00 PM ET, with Aston Villa immediately asserting their attacking intent. Ollie Watkins was the first to make an impact, opening the scoring in the 18th minute with a powerful header off a Lucas Digne cross. Watkins' goal was a testament to Villa's early dominance, as Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake was kept busy with several diving saves to keep the scoreline respectable in the first half.
Villa doubled their lead in the 64th minute through Donyell Malen, who expertly finished a move inside the box with a precise shot into the far corner. At this point, it seemed the Premier League side would cruise to victory, but Nashville was far from done. The home team’s resilience shone through as they began to mount a comeback in the latter stages of the match.
Matthew Corcoran sparked the revival in the 75th minute. After redeeming himself from a turnover that led to Malen’s goal, Corcoran combined with Sam Surridge in a slick one-two passing move. Surridge’s heel flick set Corcoran up inside the penalty area, where the 19-year-old midfielder calmly slotted the ball past Aston Villa’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, igniting the crowd and giving Nashville hope.
Just ten minutes later, Sam Surridge completed the comeback with a stunning curling shot into the net in the 85th minute. The English forward, who previously played for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League before joining Nashville, demonstrated his determination by winning the ball off Villa’s Ezri Konsa with a shove, then expertly finishing to level the match. Assistant coach John Bello noted, "It's maybe a little bit extra in there for him, but I didn't ask him about it. I just know his concentration, his preparation was exactly the same that he's had every single week."
The match remained intense until the final whistle, with Aston Villa making a substitution in the 80th minute, replacing Ian Maatsen with Travis Patterson to close out the friendly. Both teams fielded mixed lineups, with Aston Villa looking to build fitness and test younger players ahead of their upcoming Premier League and UEFA Champions League campaigns. Manager Unai Emery emphasized the developmental nature of the match, saying, "First of all, we're starting with a lot of young players because we also have the responsibility to give them opportunities to be with us, to know how we're working, how the day is going. Our goal now is to try to play, sharing players, without focusing on the starting eleven, focusing a little more on our structure, our overall structure, which we want to achieve with the players on our team." Emery also praised Nashville’s performance, adding, "They play well, and they're performing fantastically in their league. We respected them, and even when we were up two-nil they were able to gain back a result. They drove and showed their capacity."
For Nashville SC, the match was a valuable test against top-level opposition as they prepare to return to MLS play on August 9 against St. Louis City. Despite missing key players such as Hany Mukhtar, Walker Zimmerman, Daniel Lovitz, and goalkeeper Joe Willis for this friendly, Nashville demonstrated their growing competitiveness. The club currently sits third in the MLS Eastern Conference, just three points behind first-place Philadelphia Union, with nine regular-season games remaining. They also have a U.S. Open Cup semifinal scheduled for September 16, highlighting a busy and crucial stretch ahead.
Head coach BJ Callaghan expressed optimism about the experience, stating, "It's a unique opportunity. It's a good experience that allows you to ask yourself, 'Where are we competing well? What areas do we need to improve in?' This will be a great opportunity. For those who have been wanting minutes, this is an opportunity. For those who need minutes, this is an opportunity. It allows us to continue developing everyone on the roster, because going into the last nine games of the season, we don't know who's going to step up."
Earlier in their U.S. summer tour, Aston Villa had secured a 2-1 victory over St. Louis City, with Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins both scoring in consecutive games. However, their pre-season record also included losses to Walsall and Hansa Rostock and a draw with Eintracht Frankfurt, indicating ongoing efforts to fine-tune the squad ahead of the demanding Premier League season.
The friendly against Nashville SC was streamed live on the Nashville club’s official website and on Villa TV for fans in England, though it was not broadcast on television in India. The match offered fans in the United States and abroad a glimpse of Villa’s evolving squad and Nashville’s rising potential in the MLS.
Ultimately, the 2-2 draw reflected a spirited contest where Nashville SC’s determination and tactical adjustments earned them a well-deserved point against a prestigious European opponent. Both teams will now turn their focus to their respective competitive schedules, with Aston Villa preparing for the Premier League opener and Champions League fixtures, while Nashville SC aims to build on this momentum as they chase playoff success in MLS and a deep run in the U.S. Open Cup.
