Overlook Nashville SC at your own peril.
They're perhaps not the flashiest side, nor do they boast legendary coaching or world-renowned superstars.
But that doesn’t bother the Music City club at all.
They sit atop the Eastern Conference, and they’re readying to host LIGA MX powerhouse Tigres UANL for Leg 1 of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals on Tuesday evening (8:30 pm ET | FS1, TUDN).
"We're proud to be in the semifinal. We're proud to call it a semifinal," said head coach B.J. Callaghan.
"We know exactly what it's about ... But we don't hide behind the fact that this is another step forward for the club and for this group, and we're proud to be playing in a semifinal."
Sustained success
When Callaghan took charge in July 2024, Nashville were at a crossroads.
Fast forward nearly two years, and the outlook has completely changed. Callaghan and Nashville have built one of MLS’s strongest sides, led by their Designated Player trio of Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge and Cristian Espinoza.
"It’s very important that we find moments to pause and reflect on what we're accomplishing, because that gives us confidence," Callaghan said.
"We started the preseason with ambitious goals, and I think when you set these sorts of goals within your team, it's important that you, if you've achieved certain things, celebrate them, and also measure them."
Callaghan has more than paid back the club’s trust in him, as well. He led the Coyotes to their first-ever trophy last season, winning the 2025 US Open Cup.
But Callaghan and Nashville don't want their hardware haul to stop at just one.
"We refocus right back to our baseline, which is we've got work to do, and go back to our process of preparing for the next opponent to put in the same type of consistent performance over a long season and multiple competitions," Callaghan said.
A long, hard road
Of the four teams remaining in CCC, Nashville’s journey to the semifinals has arguably been the toughest.
After a 7-0 aggregate win over Canadian Premier League side Atlético Ottawa in Round One, the Coyotes took down Lionel Messi and bogey team Inter Miami CF in the Round of 16.
Next, they dispatched seven-time CCC champs Club América 1-0 on aggregate, becoming the first MLS side ever to earn a victory at the famed Estadio Azteca in the process.
This run has hardened an already battle-tested group and given them the belief that an illustrious regional title could be on the horizon.
"Going on the road internationally is going to be something that I think helps us," stated Callaghan. "I think it's not a lot of us who don't have, maybe, the experience of doing that, and we've always been able to go to sort of familiar territory ... I think those make your group a lot more resilient ...
"I think those experiences have brought this group even closer together, even more than they are, but also even a little bit more resilient to be able to handle sort of any environment."
That belief and resilience will be put to the test in Leg 2, when Nashville and Tigres settle their series on May 5 at Estadio Universitario.
"Tigres is very successful, and we've been very successful," added Nashville's coach. "So you're used to playing in big games against good opponents. That's what happens when you get to a semifinal, and you've got two elite teams.
"We all know that the game is going to be played at a high level, and it's going to be decided by moments, and for us, it's going to be about making sure that we capitalize on the moments."
