What to Watch for in Nashville SC's Orlando City SC Rematch at Home
Published on September 2, 2020 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release
NASHVILLE - After earning its first Major League Soccer home win on Sunday night, Nashville Soccer Club (2-4-1) faces yet another home test against Orlando City SC (4-2-2) on Wednesday night at Nissan Stadium.
This will be Nashville's second clash with Orlando in a week as the Boys in Gold fell 3-1 to the Lions in Florida last Wednesday night.
Here's everything you need to know about the match:
Date: Wednesday, September 2
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Nissan Stadium (NOTE: Wednesday's match will be played without fans. Read more here.)
TV: MyTV30
In-Market Stream: YouTube TV, AT&T TV*
Out-Of-Market Stream: ESPN+ (Blackout restrictions apply)
English Radio: ESPN 94.9
Spanish Radio: El Jefe 96.7
*NOTE: Nashville SC recently announced that matches can be viewed locally on streaming services. For Wednesday's match, we have received confirmation that YouTube TV and AT&T TV will show the match. Stay tuned to the Nashville SC social media channels for updates. Read the release here for more information.
Rematch - Nashville SC's loss to Orlando last Wednesday night is still fresh in the minds of the players. Since that match, both Nashville and Orlando have enjoyed confidence-boosting wins over Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United FC, respectively.
Head Coach Gary Smith knows his players must be prepared to face one of the hottest teams in MLS.
"We're going to run into one of the in-form teams again on Wednesday," Smith said. "I watched their performance against Atlanta, and they certainly look as though the tournament in Orlando has given them a tremendous foundation to put them in a very sharp and strong physical position and given them confidence. They have some talented players in their group, and they look very fluid; there's some nice connections. They'll come here thinking they can earn all three points again. My hope is the guys go out there with a shot in the arm from [Sunday]'s result, and we'll certainly put our best foot forward and make it a result we can turn around from [last week]."
Squad Goals - Nashville SC rotated its squad during the match on Sunday against Inter Miami. Midfielder Brian Anunga made his MLS debut, while winger Alex Muyl made his first Nashville SC start.
With two matches coming up once again this week, Smith could once again roll out a new-look lineup. If he calls on Anunga again to step up, he'll have a confident player ready to do what it takes to win.
"As a player, you need confidence and belief from the coach," Anunga said. "When the coach believes in you, everything just flows. I'm really happy that he was happy with the performance and happy I was able to help the team get a win."
Home Field Advantage - This will be Nashville SC's second home match since the season restart and will once again be played without fans. After experiencing the sights and sounds of an empty Nissan Stadium on Sunday for the first time, Smith thinks his players could be better prepared to create their own atmosphere and energy.
"It's very difficult for all teams that are playing without fans and maybe we realized as coaches and players that fans are important of course, but never before have we realized just how important those fans are to the game," Smith said. "You feel it, the energy that the players have to create pretty much on their own and then of course the excitement and the passion when you win a game. Unfortunately we'll have to wait a bit longer before we see them."
Major League Soccer Stories from September 2, 2020
- Randall Leal Lifts Nashville SC to 1-1 Draw at Home vs. Orlando City SC - Nashville SC
- D.C. United Win 1-0 against the New York Red Bulls on the Road - D.C. United
- Notes & Quotes: New England Revolution 0 - 2 New York City FC - New York City FC
- FC Cincinnati earn point in scoreless draw - FC Cincinnati
- Atlanta United Plays Inter Miami CF to 0-0 Draw - Atlanta United FC
- Union fall to Columbus Crew SC on the road - Philadelphia Union
- D.C.'s Sorga Downs Red Bulls in Final Moments - New York Red Bulls
- Chicago Fire FC Earns Hard-Fought Point on the Road, Draws 0-0 with FC Cincinnati - Chicago Fire FC
- Revolution Fall, 2-0, to New York City FC - New England Revolution
- Inter Miami CF Earns First Point on the Road, Records First Clean Sheet - Inter Miami CF
- Timbers Play Host to LA Galaxy Tonight at Providence Park - Portland Timbers
- Utah Soccer Introduces John Kimball as Interim President - Real Salt Lake
- Game Notes: Sounders FC at Real Salt Lake - September 2, 2020 - Seattle Sounders FC
- Founding Real Salt Lake Executive John Kimball Returns as Interim President of Utah Soccer - MLS
- Earthquakes Take on LAFC Tonight - San Jose Earthquakes
- FC Cincinnati Acquire Winger Alvaro Barreal - FC Cincinnati
- Columbus Crew SC Hosts Philadelphia Union Tonight - Columbus Crew SC
- What to Watch for in Nashville SC's Orlando City SC Rematch at Home - Nashville SC
- Real Salt Lake Welcomes Seattle Sounders FC to Sandy on Wednesday - Real Salt Lake
- D.C. United Midfielder Felipe Martins to Undergo ACL Reconstruction Surgery - D.C. United
- Montreal Impact (1) - Toronto FC (0) Post Match Summary - Toronto 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.
