USL Nashville SC

Preview: Nashville SC Hosts Indy Eleven in Eastern Conference Semifinals

Published on October 31, 2019 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - Playoff soccer is back in Music City for another week as Nashville SC hosts Indy Eleven in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this Saturday, Nov. 2. The match is set to kick off at 7 p.m. CT at First Tennessee Park, and the night's winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Final to be played the following weekend.

How to Follow

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

Digital Stream: ESPN+

English Radio: ESPN 94.9 Game 2 with Wes Boling and Eddie Carvacho

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

Social Media: @NashvilleSC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Last Time Out

Nashville SC flew past No. 9 seed Charleston Battery with a 3-1 victory at First Tennessee Park on Oct. 26. Lebo Moloto got the scoring started in the 9' minute when a Charleston turnover turned into a deadly opportunity for the Boys in Gold. The Battery responded with a converted penalty kick in the 35' minute, but Nashville went ahead just before the break thanks to a header from Daniel Ríos. Derrick Jones then iced the win with his first goal in gold during the final two minutes of the match to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Scouting Indy Eleven

Indy Eleven finished in the regular season as the third seed in the East, matching up with the sixth-seeded New York Red Bulls II in the first round of playoffs. A back-and-forth battle fell in favor of Indy thanks to an early goal from defender Karl Ouimette that allowed the team to lock down defensively for the remainder of the match. Indy's defense was its biggest strength during the regular season, boasting the second fewest goals conceded in the league at just 29 and racking up 14 clean sheets. However, Indy has struggled on the other end of the field, ranking 21st in the league in goals scored with 49 compared to Nashville's 62. Its road form has been decent with an overall away record of 6-9-2 this season, but the team is more comfortable home based on its 13-0-4 record in Indianapolis.

Storylines to Watch

Making a Run for It

Nashville SC's playoff win last Saturday was its first-ever home playoff match and first-ever playoff win in club history. A win on Saturday over Indy Eleven would set up Nashville SC to play the winner of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Louisville City FC. Because of seeding, a matchup against No. 1 seed would result in an away match for the conference final, whereas a win for LouCity would see NSC host its third playoff match of 2019.

Clean Sweep

Nashville SC has yet to lose to Indy Eleven this season and has not allowed a single goal from the Indiana side in 2019. The first meeting between the teams on May 25 ended in a 0-0 draw at Lucas Oil Stadium where Nashville managed to come away with a point in one of the most difficult away venues in the league. Two months later, Nashville blanked Indy 2-0 at Nissan Stadium in front of a season-high crowd of over 13,000 on July 27.

Eight Unbeaten

A win on Saturday would extend Nashville's current unbeaten streak to eight matches. The team has not lost a game since September 7 when it fell 1-0 to Saint Louis FC. Since then, NSC has gone 6-0-1 in its last seven. During the seven-match unbeaten streak, Nashville has won five straight, which is its longest win streak in club history. Earlier in the year, Nashville had a six-match and a seven-match unbeaten run and in 2018, went eleven matches unbeaten across league and U.S. Open Cup Play.

Be in the stands this Saturday, Nov. 2 as Nashville SC continues its historic playoff run. Tickets are available for purchase starting as low as $10.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 31, 2019


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