Sam Surridge scores twice as Nashville SC beats Toronto FC 2-1 on the road

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Whatever Sam Surridge has against the city of Toronto, Nashville SC is thankful for it.
Surridge scored two goals as Nashville (8-4-3, 27 points) took down Toronto FC 2-1 at BMO Field on May 24. The Boys in Gold extended their unbeaten streak to six games in MLS play and eight games across all competitions.
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Last June, Surridge scored twice to lead Nashville to a 2-1 win at Toronto. The striker's latest brace brought him to a team-high eight goals, tied for fourth in the league.
Jonathan Osorio scored for Toronto (3-8-4, 13 points) in stoppage time, but NSC held on the last three minutes to stay in third place in the Eastern Conference.
"I wouldn't say it was our best soccer and our best ability to execute," said Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan. "But I thought the group really competed well."
Nashville finishes off a three-game road trip against the Columbus Crew on May 28 (7 p.m. CT).
Inside Sam Surridge's performance vs Toronto
While Nashville dictated terms for most of the game, it made adjustments in the second half to counteract Toronto's defense. Callaghan said Nashville had better positioning in central midfield and made more runs in behind the defense.
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That's how Surridge scored his first goal. In the 57th minute, Andy Najar laced a long, floating pass down the right wing to Hany Mukhtar, who crossed to Surridge in front of goal for a tap-in. In the 89th minute, Surridge found the net again when substitute Jonathan Perez threaded him a pass in transition.
"We still had good chances where I think we could have gone one or two up, but we didn't panic," Surridge said. "At halftime, it was us staying calm. It was a positive halftime. It wasn't one where we think we have to do better, just a few tweaks."
Walker Zimmerman returns from concussion
Defender Walker Zimmerman, who hadn't played since sustaining a concussion against Charlotte FC on April 5, made his return after missing nine games. The center back, Nashville's team captain, subbed on in the 73rd minute against Toronto.
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"His presence is always there, his leadership has always been there," Callaghan said. "But there's always a moment that when he steps back on the field, the group gets a lift."
Nashville, which struggled mightily without Zimmerman last season, played well during his absence. Jack Maher and Jeisson Palacios took hold in the middle of the defense, helping NSC go 6-1-2 and outscore opponents 18-8.
"I'm going to have very tough decisions," Callaghan said. "Center backs have been playing really well. The back line's been playing really well. That's what winning teams have, depth and guys who are called on."
Nashville continues to manage challenging May
May was supposed to be one of the toughest stretches of the season for Nashville, with nine games in a 28-day span. NSC has met the challenge with its best soccer yet, including a 3-2 win over Orlando City on May 21 to advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals in July.
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MORE: Nashville SC to host D.C. United in U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals in July
Nashville's current unbeaten run is tied for the third-longest in team history. It went 11 games without a loss as a United Soccer League club in 2018 and had a nine-match undefeated streak in 2021.
"Credit to the staff, we have to credit Robert Butler and Sydney Gray with medical high performance in turning these guys over every three days to play," Callaghan said. "And credit to the players and their ability to prepare before. We reflect, we refine what we're going to do, we recover, and then we do it again."
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at [e-mail] and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC beats Toronto FC behind Sam Surridge two-goal game