Beasts of the Southeast: Nashville's reign of terror in April
- Rylee Mckinney
- 3 minutes ago
- 6 min read
By Rylee McKinney
The MLS recently completed Matchday 11 of the regular season. The month of April has turned the tables upside down, especially for our Southeast teams.
As the league balances the demands of the Concacaf Champions Cup and National Team call-ups ahead of the World Cup, teams are battling fatigue and injuries like never before.
Here are some updates on all six clubs, including power rankings and the player of the month awards:
Power Rankings
Nashville SC
Inter Miami CF
Charlotte FC
DC United
Atlanta United
Orlando City
Player of the Month
Orlando City SC is finally rising from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, largely in part to midfielder Martin Ojeda. During Matchday 11, Ojeda helped Orlando defeat their in-state rivals, Inter Miami CF.
His explosive performance led to goals in the 39th, 68th, and 79th (P) minutes. So far this season, Ojeda has seven goals in just 11 matches. With a 3.53 xG and high work rate, Ojeda's performance as of late is a beacon of hope for the Lions.
Nashville SC
Record all-comps since March:
Regular season: 3W-1D-1L
Concacaf Champions Cup: 1W-1D-2L
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 3rd place
April was a great month for Nashville SC for both the regular season and the Concacaf Champions Cup. However, they appear to be slowing down following recent injuries to the squad.
Nashville’s star striker, Sam Surridge, recently suffered a back injury. Also, midfielder Eddi Tagseth was listed on the injury report with a “lower body” injury.
Surridge and Tagseth’s injuries have definitely impacted Nashville's momentum, as they ended Matchday 10 with a 0-0 draw against Philadelphia Union.
Head coach BJ Callaghan commented on their recovery, noting, “I don’t have specific dates or timelines for those guys, but I don’t expect it to be like one or two days.”
Injuries have also impacted their run in the Concacaf Champions Cup, where Nashville were eliminated 0-2 on aggregate by Tigres UANL.
Despite the injuries, Nashville has been climbing the MLS stat tables as well. Surridge still sits in third place for most goals with nine. Hany Mukhtar also tallies in the top ten for assists with five.
May schedule:
Saturday, May 9th, 9:15 PM ET - vs D.C. United
Wednesday, May 13th, 7:30 PM ET - at New England Revolution
Sunday, May 17th, 8:00 PM ET - vs LAFC
Saturday, May 23rd, 8:30 PM ET - vs NYCFC
Inter Miami CF
Record all-comps since March:
Regular season: 2W-3D-1L
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 9th place
Inter Miami CF spent April showcasing its new stadium. The new 26,700-seat home base opened during their early April match against Austin FC.
Yet the new stadium carries a lore of being cursed. Inter Miami has yet to secure a home win since taking the pitch at Nu Stadium.
Their most recent 3-4 loss to Orlando City left fans speechless, especially with a hat-trick from Orlando’s Martin Ojeda.
The Heron's most pressing headline to come from April would be the departure of head coach Javier Mascherano. Despite an impressive record-breaking 2025 season, Mascherano’s departure was self-selected for personal reasons.
Taking Mascherano’s place is former professional player Guillermo Hoyos. He has managed clubs in several countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia, Greece, and Cyprus.
Before he was appointed head coach with Miami, Hoyos oversaw the club’s professional pathway development structure.
With a new coach and a new stadium, Miami appears to be resetting its style ahead of May.
May schedule:
Saturday, May 9th, 1:00 PM ET - at Toronto FC
Wednesday, May 13th, 7:30 PM ET - at FC Cincinnati
Sunday, May 17th, 6:00 PM ET - vs Portland Timbers
Sunday, May 24th, 7:15 PM ET- vs Philadelphia Union
Charlotte FC
Record all-comps since March:
Regular-Season: 2W-0D-4L
US Open Cup: 1W-0D-1L
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 15th Place
April has been less than ideal for Charlotte FC. An unfortunate loss in the Round of 16 in the US Open Cup and a series of losses on the road have shaken up Charlotte’s confidence.
Yet their April schedule has been difficult, with The Crown facing Eastern Conference superpower Nashville SC twice.
Similar to Nashville, Charlotte has also seen major injuries. Veteran center-back Tim Ream and left fullback Harry Toffolo recently recorded injuries, leaving the defense with only one Charlotte veteran, Nathan Byrne.
Newcomers to the first team, like Morrison and David Schnegg, have been covering in the meantime.
Offensively, Charlotte is still struggling to finish in the attacking third. Starting striker Idan Toklomati has even been competing with his alternate Archie Goodwin for minutes.
Additionally, rumors are circulating about Wilfried Zaha’s potential departure, as his contract expires this summer.
The bottom line for Charlotte is that they need to improve their performance in May to avoid slipping further down the rankings.
May schedule:
Saturday, May 9th, 7:30 PM ET - vs FC Cincinnati
Wednesday, May 13th, 7:00 PM ET - vs NYCFC
Saturday, May 16th, 7:30 PM ET - vs Toronto FC
Saturday, May 23rd, 7:30 PM ET - vs New England Revolution
DC United
Record all-comps since March:
Regular season: 2W-2L-2D
US Open Cup: 0W-1L-0D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 14th place
DC United has performed consistently in April. However, their recent climb in the EC and in the Supporters’ Shield race proves that they should not be discounted too soon.
Through their consistency, DC has landed in 5th place in the EC, ahead of Charlotte, Atlanta, and Orlando.
Internally, there does seem to be some tension between head coach Rene Weiler and attacking midfielder Gabriel Pirani. Per Tom Bogert, Pirani was left out of DC’s squad against NYCFC last Saturday.
Weiler noted that “He [Pirani] is playing for himself instead of the team. I can’t see the joy in his face.”
Despite internal tensions, DC United seems to be keeping a steady pace ahead of May.
May schedule:
Saturday, May 9th, 9:15 PM ET - at Nashville SC
Wednesday, May 13th, 7:30 PM ET - vs Chicago Fire FC
Saturday, May 16th, 7:30 PM ET - vs St. Louis
Saturday, May 23rd, 7:30 PM ET - vs Montreal
Atlanta United
Record all-comps since March:
Regular-Season: 2W-0D-4L
US Open Cup: 2W-0L-0D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 24th place
Atlanta United continues to have a below-average season as they wrap up their April run. Yet, Atlanta had two major victories to conclude the month.
First, Atlanta lives another day in the US Open Cup tournament with a 2-0 win over Charlotte in the Round of 16. They will move on to face Orlando City in the Quarter-finals in mid-May.
Atlanta’s second win comes in the form of Latte Lath. The forward recently made a return to play after a two-match break.
Head coach Tata Martino encouraged the break for Lath so he can rest both physically and mentally.
The break worked well for Lath, as he scored against Montreal in their match last Saturday. His contributions in Matchday 11 ultimately led Atlanta to a 3-1 win over Montreal.
May schedule:
Saturday, May 9th, 7:30 PM ET - vs LA Galaxy
Saturday, May 16th, 7:30 PM ET - at Orlando City
Tuesday, May 19th, 7:30 PM ET - at Orlando City (US Open Cup Quarter-final)
Sunday, May 24th, 5:00 PM ET - at Columbus Crew
Orlando City
Record all-comps since March:
Regular-Season: 2W-1D-3L
US Open Cup: 2W-0L-0D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 26th place
Orlando City has had the most up-and-down April among all Southeast teams. The start of the month proved difficult with a 6-0 loss against LAFC.
But with time, Orlando earned some small victories. Wins against Charlotte FC in the regular season and a win against New England in the US Open Cup Round of 16 turned the tide.
Orlando even began their May run with a huge 4-3 win over in-state rivals, Inter Miami.
A wicked performance from Martin Ojeda last Saturday might even have some fans exchanging their Messi jerseys.
The journey seems hopeful for Orlando as they embrace May’s schedule.
May schedule:
Saturday, May 9th, 4:30 PM ET - at Montreal
Wednesday, May 13th, 7:30 PM ET - vs Philadelphia Union
Saturday, May 16th, 7:30 PM ET - vs Atlanta United
Tuesday, May 19th, 7:30 PM ET - vs Atlanta United (US Open Cup Quarter Final)
Saturday, May 23rd, 7:30 PM ET - at FC Cincinnati
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