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Preview: Nashville SC Battles New York Red Bulls II in Clash of Top Clubs in the East

August 19, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - Riding a six-match unbeaten streak, Nashville Soccer Club is gearing up for one of the biggest matches of the season on Wednesday night against New York Red Bulls II. Kickoff for the match, presented by Budweiser, is set for 7:00 p.m. at First Tennessee Park.

The matchup will pit the first-place club in the USL Championship Eastern Conference against third-place Nashville SC. A Nashville win coupled with a Tampa Bay Rowdies loss or draw on Wednesday night would put Nashville SC into first place in the conference.

Wednesday's match is a rescheduled match between the two sides after their original match on June 26 was postponed due to severe weather. The match will be replayed in its entirety. All original ticket holders will be admitted to the match using their original tickets for the June 26 match.

The match will also be Nashville SC's celebration of Pride Night, as the originally scheduled match took place at the end of Pride Month.

How to Follow

Local Television: MyTV30 with John Freeman, Ronnie Woodard and Kelly Glendenning

Spanish Radio: El Jefe 96.7 with Alexis Martinez and Manfred Villalobos

Digital Stream: ESPN+

Social Media: @NashvilleSC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Last Time Out

Over the weekend, Nashville SC took down Charlotte Independence 3-1 at the Sportsplex at Matthews. Daniel Ríos started the scoring at the end of a training ground set piece play in the opening minutes, but Charlotte was able to equalize on a wired shot to the lower corner from the top of the box. In the second half, Nashville took over with a converted penalty from Ríos and a laserbeam from Kharlton Belmar into the far lower corner. The win stretched the club's unbeaten run to six matches and maintained its position in third place in the standings.

Scouting New York Red Bulls II

New York Red Bulls II is the reserve squad for MLS' New York Red Bulls and is one of the most consistent sides across the USL Championship. It currently sits in first place having won three of its last five matches. Even after getting time with the MLS side, Tom Barlow has bounced back to NYRBII on occasion, leading the team with 11 goals in 13 appearances. Right behind him is Jared Stroud, who has 10 goals on the season. The team is known for its high-flying and fast attacking style that mirrors the MLS club's style. To that end, six different players on the team have at least four goals this season.

Storylines to Watch

Ríos Racing for the Golden Boot

With two goals last Saturday against Charlotte, Nashville forward Daniel Ríos earned 17 goals on the season, moving within one goal of the Golden Boot pacesetter, Solomon Asante. For comparison, the next-highest Eastern Conference goal scorer is Tampa Bay's Sebastián Guenzatti with 12 goals. Since the end of June, Ríos has scored at least one goal in all but one of Nashville SC's matches (the exception being Nashville's 0-0 draw against Bethlehem Steel FC.

Speed, Speed, Speed

In the half of soccer that was played between Nashville and NYRBII on June 26 before the match was wiped out by severe weather, both teams played high-octane soccer that produced a 2-1 Nashville SC lead at halftime. The match began with a quick counterattack goal by NYRBII, but Nashville responded with goals from Lebo Moloto and Cameron Lancaster. Both goals were quick strikes from outside the box after Nashville's midfielders forced turnovers high up the pitch.

Lancaster and LaGrassa Looking Fit

Nashville SC benefitted from the returns of midfielder Matt LaGrassa and forward Cameron Lancaster on Saturday against Charlotte. LaGrassa played 61 minutes as a starter before being subbed off, and Lancaster appeared as a substitute in the final minutes of the match. Both players were injured in Nashville's 2-1 loss to Louisville City FC on July 6. With the two of them back in the fold, Nashville SC's roster gets a big boost going into this matchup against the top team in the Eastern Conference.

Tickets are available for Wednesday's match for as low as $5.

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