Overview
- Sam Surridge converted a 9th-minute penalty and Josh Bauer scored from a Hany Mukhtar corner on the stroke of halftime to put Nashville up 2-0.
- Lionel Messi pulled one back in the 90th minute, but Inter Miami could not find an equalizer in stoppage time.
- The penalty stemmed from goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo hesitating off his line, and coach Javier Mascherano later questioned the lack of a VAR review.
- The victory was Nashville's first playoff win since 2021 and its first over Inter Miami since May 2023.
- The series is tied 1-1 under MLS's best-of-three format, with Game 3 at Chase Stadium on Nov. 8 and the winner to face FC Cincinnati or Columbus Crew.