USL Nashville SC

Preview: Nashville SC Wraps up Busy Week with Clash against Bethlehem Steel FC

August 9, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - Nashville Soccer Club keeps on rolling, and it will put its four-match winning streak to the test on Saturday night against Bethlehem Steel FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. for the match, presented by Piedmont/Tennessee 8-1-1. The club has not allowed a goal since July 6 and is currently on the longest winning streak in club history.

How to Follow

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

English Radio: ESPN 94.9 Game 2 with Pete Weber and Eddie Carvacho

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

Nashville SC took down Hartford Athletic 4-0 on Wednesday night at First Tennessee Park. The opening minutes of the match featured a scary moment as Nashville captain Michael Reed was stretchered off with a gruesome leg injury. Hartford's Mads Jørgensen received a red card for the dangerous tackle on Reed, and Nashville took advantage of the extra man in the second half with four goals in 25 minutes to secure the victory. Ken Tribbett, Daniel Ríos, Alan Winn and Ropapa Mensah all scored to give Nashville the win. The win was tied for Nashville's largest margin of victory this season with the 5-1 over Swope Park Rangers in May.

Scouting Bethlehem

Bethlehem Steel FC, the Philadelphia Union's reserve squad, currently sits in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with six wins, 12 losses and four draws. In its last five matches, Bethlehem has one win and four losses. While the club is a solid scoring team with 30 goals scored in total so far this season, it is near the bottom in goals conceded with 44, the fourth-highest in the Eastern Conference. Bethlehem has been stronger on the road than at home this season, winning four matches on the road compared to two at home. The team is led by Faris Pemi Moumbagna in goals with six in sixteen matches.

Storylines to Watch

So Fresh, So Clean

Nashville SC's four-match win streak is also a four-match clean sheet streak, as the club has not allowed a goal since Nashville's 2-1 loss to Louisville City FC on July 6. The streak of 376 minutes without allowing a goal is a club record. The streak has coincided with Nashville's addition of Jimmy Ockford and Forrest Lasso on loan from MLS clubs for the remainder of the 2019 season and Matt Pickens' first four-match run of starts in net of the season.

Rollin' on the Ríos

Forward Daniel Ríos is locked in a tight race for the USL Championship's Golden Boot, and he's heating up at the right time. He has scored in his last five matches to get to 15 goals on the season, tied atop the league lead with Phoenix Rising FC's Solomon Asante. Ríos put together a fantastic individual effort to find space in the box and score against Hartford on Wednesday night.

Comeback Kids

The last time Nashville SC faced Bethlehem Steel FC, Nashville came away with a 4-1 come-from-behind victory. In the first half, Bethlehem struck first off of a set piece, but Nashville SC roared to life afterwards. Ken Tribbett equalized the match against his former team off of a set piece before the half was over. In the second half, Ropapa Mensah, Kosuke Kimura and Cameron Lancaster all scored to secure the victory for Nashville SC. It was Nashville's first come-from-behind victory in club history.

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



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 9, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central