USL Nashville SC

A Look at Nissan Stadium's Rich Soccer History

Published on July 2, 2018 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


When Nashville SC and FC Cincinnati take the field at Nissan Stadium on Saturday, it will be the next chapter in a long lineage of soccer at Nashville's marquee stadium.

From MLS teams to U.S. Women's and Men's national teams, Nissan Stadium has seen plenty of elite-level soccer. Let's look back at some of the top moments in Nissan Stadium's soccer history.

First Soccer Game: LA Galaxy vs. Tecos UAG, April 20, 2004

The first-ever soccer match at Nissan featured MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy and Liga MX's Tecos UAG. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in front of 11,198 fans. The match was part of the World Soccer Super Clasico.

First Men's International Match: USA vs. Morocco, May 23, 2006

In a friendly match ahead of the 2006 World Cup, the U.S. Men's National Team met up with Morocco in front of over 26,000 fans. In that match, a U.S. team that included stars Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey fell to Morocco 1-0 on a 90' minute goal. The U.S. went on to bow out of the 2006 World Cup in the group stage.

Jozy Altidore's Hat Trick: USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago, April 1, 2009

In a blitzing victory over Trinidad and Tobago in 2010 World Cup qualifying, the U.S.' Jozy Altidore became the youngest American to score a hat trick for the national team. His three goals sent the majority of the 27,000 fans at Nissan Stadium home happy, and gave the U.S. three big points prior to qualifying for the 2010 Cup. If only a similar scoreline could have occurred between the U.S. and T&T last October...

#SheBelieves Cup 2016: USA vs. France, March 6, 2016

In a marquee matchup, the U.S. Women's National Team took on France in the #SheBelieves Cup, a precursor to the 2016 Rio Olympics. With the match tied 0-0 in stoppage time, Alex Morgan took a perfect ball through the middle and fired it past the keeper to give the United States a thrilling victory. The USWNT would go on to win the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics just a few months later.

CONCACAF Gold Cup: USA vs. Panama, July 8, 2017

Nissan Stadium was selected as one of 14 host sites for 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches. On top of that, it had the honor of hosting the United States' squad for one match as the USMNT took on Panama. In front of a raucous crowd, Dom Dwyer put the U.S. up 1-0 early in the second half, but Miguel Camargo equalized just 10 minutes later to secure a 1-1 draw. It would be the USMNT's only draw of the tournament as the team went on to win the Gold Cup just weeks later.

2017 International Champions Cup: Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur, July 29, 2017

After the Gold Cup fervor had subsided, Nashville played host to two elite Premier League teams in Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on their U.S. tour. A record-breaking 56,232 fans saw City claim victory 3-0 with goals scored by John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Brahim Diaz. The packed stadium played a role in helping demonstrate Nashville's interest in soccer and secure an MLS franchise bid.

Nashville SC Inaugural Home Opener: Nashville SC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, March 24, 2018

In the first-ever game at Nissan Stadium for a Nashville-based professional club, Nashville SC played Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to a hard-fought 0-0 draw in its home USL season opener. Midfielder Lebo Moloto had a glorious volley chance late in the match, but it was cleared off the line. The match drew over 18,000 raucous fans and earned an important point against a team that is now in second in the USL Eastern Conference.

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