Jacob Shaffelburg helps Nashville SC to first-ever trophy in US Open Cup win - ICYMI

Nashville SC have won their first trophy in club history, as they defeated Austin FC 2-1 in the US Open Cup final on Wednesday. 

Thanks to that, they’ve now qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup for the second time in their history, having previously participated in the 2024 edition of that tournament. 

That’s good news for CanMNT winger Jacob Shaffelburg, too, who scored two goals and added two assists in four appearances in Nashville’s loan foray into the Champions Cup last year. 

Certainly, he made the most of the opportunity to play in this US Open Cup final, as he assisted Nashville’s opening goal on the day, chesting a nice cross into the path of Hany Mukhtar, who slashed a half-volley into the net to put his team up 1-0 in the first half. 

Who else but Hany Mukhtar?? 🫡@NashvilleSC strike first in the U.S. @opencup Final 💥 pic.twitter.com/FMNbLDJbgA

— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) October 2, 2025

Nashville were made to work for the victory from there, as Austin responded with an equalizer before half-time, but eventually, they got their winner via a 60th-minute penalty from Sam Surridge, and that’d be all they needed to be crowned champions on the day.

As for Shaffelburg, it was an otherwise quiet day for the Canadian winger, as he completed just eight of nine passes and had no other shots or chances created, as he took just 19 touches. 

Yet, it was that kind of day for his team, who held just 46% of possession, completing just 282 passes. Because of that, it’s a credit to Shaffelburg that he was able to nab a goal contribution, especially considering the magnitude of the match, despite his team’s struggles on the ball. 

At the same time, it’s worth noting that this has been a good stretch for Shaffelburg, who has now scored two goals and added three assists for Nashville since August 17th - before then, he’d scored just one goal and added just one assist all season for Nashville.

After having scored four goals and added seven assists in the 2023 season (all competitions), and four goals and five assists in 2024 (all competitions), he’s now close to replicating those figures this season, sitting with three goals and four assists. 

Of course, he’s still got time to add to those totals as Nashville looks to carry the momentum of this trophy into the MLS Cup playoffs, which is worth noting. 

Having yet to earn a goal contribution in three previous playoff games, Shaffelburg would love to provide a similar big-game impact in this year’s postseason, fuelled by this assist in the US Open Cup final.

Certainly, as he’s shown for Canada, he has the flair for the dramatic and is unafraid of scoring big goals, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him step up in a big way these playoffs for Nashville. 

A night we'll NEVER forget 🌙✨ pic.twitter.com/d8rdJklM2U

— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) October 2, 2025

Speaking of Canada, though, it’s worth noting that he has a couple of big camps ahead of him there, too, as he’s had a quiet 2025 following a big 2024 where he scored five goals and added one assist, still sitting without a goal or an assist this year.

With the World Cup rapidly approaching, and with Canada’s growing winger depth, he’d love to rediscover that form that made him an essential part of Jesse Marsch’s side last year, as that’d add another layer to Canada’s attack going forward. 

Because of that, this is a pivotal stretch for the Canadian winger, and he’ll hope that the feeling of winning this trophy, which is just his second as a professional after winning the 2020 Canadian Championship, can help him do so.