
What to Watch for as Nashville SC Hosts Rival FC Cincinnati at Nissan Stadium this Saturday
July 23, 2021 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release
Riding a six-match unbeaten run, Nashville SC returns to Nissan Stadium for one final time during the month of July to face rivalÃÂ FC Cincinnati on Saturday night.ÃÂ
The Boys in Gold are comingÃÂ offÃÂ aÃÂ 5-1 winÃÂ last Saturday at home against Chicago Fire FC and a hard-earnedÃÂ scoreless draw on the roadÃÂ at Columbus CrewÃÂ on Wednesday night.ÃÂ Joe Willis earned his sixth clean sheet against Columbus, tied for the most in Major League Soccer.ÃÂ
Saturday's match will conclude a stretch of six home matches in the last monthÃÂ dating back to June 23.ÃÂ Nashville has gone unbeaten during the homestand andÃÂ won three of those five matches.ÃÂ Dating back to last season's run in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, Nashville SC has not lost in 11 straight home matches.ÃÂ
Here's everything you need to know about Saturday's rivalry clash:ÃÂ
Date: Saturday, July 24
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Nissan Stadium
Tickets: Click Here
TV: MyTV30
Stream: NashvilleSC.com/stream
English Radio: ESPN 94.9
Spanish Radio: El Jefe 96.7
Adapt and ExcelÃÂ - With players on the injury report and away on international duty,ÃÂ severalÃÂ players have stepped up to buoy the squad. Other regular starters have also taken on new roles when needed.ÃÂ
Captain Dax McCarty played a hybrid center back/midfielder role on Wednesday night against Columbus, dropping back to bolster the backline while also providing stability andÃÂ distribution in the midfield.ÃÂ HeÃÂ flabbergasted the Columbus attack, particularlyÃÂ attacking midfielder LucasÃÂ Zelarayán, who was held without a shot onÃÂ target for the first time in nearly a month.ÃÂ
McCarty says he credits HeadÃÂ Coach Gary Smith for how well he was able to adapt to his temporary role.ÃÂ
"Gary's one of the best, honestly," McCarty said. "He simplifies things, he makes things really easy for players to understand what he wants out of the gameplan tactically, and he puts trust in his players. I think that's one of the best qualities in a coach:ÃÂ a coach who puts trust and faith in players to go execute a gameplan. Gary knows me very well by now.ÃÂ He knows my strengths;ÃÂ he knows my qualities;ÃÂ he knows my weaknesses.ÃÂ ObviouslyÃÂ we are a little thin in the back,ÃÂ and he wanted to rely on my experience to kind of step into that position and try to shepherd the backlineÃÂ along andÃÂ continue to try to keep shutouts like we have been doing in the past."
Loba Lurkingà-àNashville SC's newest Designated Player and strikeràAkéàLoba made his club debutàagainstàColumbus,àstepping onto the pitch for the final nine minutes of the second half plus seven minutes of stoppage time.ÃÂ
McCarty says that Loba's brief debut is only a small glimpse of what the Ivorian forward is capable of.
"The game tonight was a very difficult one for an attacking player to come into," McCarty said.à"We didn't have a lot of possession. We didn't have a lot of field superiority.àBut it was difficult and a struggle for us to hold possession of the ball in their half of the field, which is I think whereàAkéàis really going to shine. You saw a few momentsàwhere he got on the ball in the corneràof his technique, hisàtechnicalàquality, his ability to try to beat a few players and hold the ball and try to create something out of nothing."
Re-Sparking the OffenseÃÂ -ÃÂ A few days after dismantling Chicago with five goals, the Nashville offenseÃÂ couldn't find a way to put one past a stout Columbus defense. The Boys in Gold took eight shots on the night, including Hany Mukhtar'sÃÂ bending free kick that nearly fooled goalkeeper Eloy RoomÃÂ in the opening minutes of the match.ÃÂ
Smith says he's more than happy with the performance of Mukhtar and fellow attacker CJÃÂ Sapong, and knows they have more to give on Saturday.ÃÂ
"Hany and CJ have certainly done their bit for the team [Wednesday], and things started to get a little bit tougher for us as people got tired," Smith said. "ButÃÂ look:ÃÂ when you come away from home, we're not going to have long stages of the game and multiple opportunities at goal. We've got to learn to be a little more clinical when those moments come along, but we've also got to show the sort of discipline and desire that we showed to earn points and keep ticking over."
Major League Soccer Stories from July 23, 2021
- LAFC Takes on the Vancouver Whitecaps Tomorrow, July 24 at Banc of California Stadium - Los Angeles FC
- Sounders FC Honors Legacy of Seattle Soccer Icon Jimmy Gabriel at this Sunday's Heritage-Themed Match - Seattle Sounders FC
- Match Preview: Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew - Atlanta United FC
- Neville, Chapman: âÃâ¬ÃÅWe Have to Fight for the FansâÃâ¬ÃÂÃâà- Inter Miami CF
- Raúl Ruidíaz Voted MLS Player of the Week - Seattle Sounders FC
- Seattle Sounders FC Forward Raúl Ruidíaz Voted MLS Player of the Week for Week 14 - MLS
- Minnesota United FC vs. Portland Timbers - Minnesota United FC
- Columbus Crew Travels to Face Atlanta United on Saturday to Begin Two-Match Road Stretch - Columbus Crew SC
- Preview: Rapids Visit Real Salt Lake in First Rocky Mountain Cup Clash of 2021 - Colorado Rapids
- Toronto FC to Play August Home Matches at Bmo Field - Toronto FC
- Whitecaps FC Set to Return to BC Place on August 21 - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- CF Montréal Will Play at Stade Saputo in August - Club de Foot Montreal
- MLS Canadian Clubs to Host August Matches in Canada - MLS
- Atlanta United terminates Fernando Meza's contract - Atlanta United FC
- Inter Miami CF to Host the Philadelphia Union on SundayÃâà- Inter Miami CF
- Sporting and Seattle Set for Sunday Showdown - Sporting Kansas City
- Real Salt Lake Welcomes Rocky Mountain Rival Colorado Rapids - Real Salt Lake
- Week 14: Abubakar Named to MLS Team of the Week - Colorado Rapids
- Three Points: Houston Dynamo Close Two-Game Road Trip in San Jose - Houston Dynamo FC
- Rocky Mountain Cup Keys: Enjoy the Ball and Fight - Colorado Rapids
- What to Watch for as Nashville SC Hosts Rival FC Cincinnati at Nissan Stadium this Saturday - Nashville SC
- Charlotte FC Introduces Head Coach Miguel Ángel Ramírez at Press Conference in Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte FC
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.
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