Nashville Soccer Club officially clinched a berth in the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season after a dramatic 2-1 loss by the Portland Timbers to LAFC.
“Being able to advance to the playoffs for a third consecutive year is something we are all so proud of, and know it puts our club in exclusive company,” said Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs. “The players and staff have worked so hard to put our club in this position, and can now press along with trying to achieve the best seed possible as we prepare for the postseason.”
Nashville SC has proven to be one of the elite expansion clubs in MLS history since its entrance in 2020, reaching the playoffs each of the last three seasons. With the accomplishment, the Boys in Gold join Atlanta United FC, LAFC, and Seattle Sounders FC as the only teams in the modern expansion era to clinch a playoff berth consecutively in their first three seasons.
The path to clinching a playoff berth in 2022 has been impressive after Nashville SC began the season with eight consecutive road matches before opening GEODIS Park. Nashville SC finished the stretch with more points per game (1.38) than any other team in league history to start a season with eight or more matches on the road.
Nashville SC has hosted playoff matches in each of its first two playoff appearances, outscoring opponents 6-1, and reaching the Conference Semifinals both years. For the first time in its history, however, Nashville will appear in the playoffs as a member of the Western Conference.
In the midst of a six-match unbeaten streak that dates back to Aug. 14, the Boys in Gold will continue their pursuit of hosting a playoff match with two MLS regular season matches remaining. Nashville SC will host Houston Dynamo FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Sunday first, before traveling to LAFC on Decision Day on Oct. 9.
Nashville has been led this season by Landon Donovan MLS MVP frontrunner Hany Mukhtar, who reigns as the Golden Boot leader in MLS with 23 goals and 34 goal contributions. The German registered 17 goals and six assists in his last 15 matches. Mukhtar has been vital to Nashville SC’s success as an elite expansion side, being involved in over half of the club’s regular season goals in history (70 of 129).
Come on in to GEODIS Park at 7:30 p.m. CT tonight to celebrate Nashville SC’s playoff clinching. Get your tickets at www.NashvilleSC.com/tickets.
Nashville SC joined Major League Soccer on Feb. 29, 2020, in front of the largest attendance ever recorded for a soccer match in the State of Tennessee. In its inaugural MLS season, Nashville SC defeated expectations by becoming the second MLS expansion side to win and advance to the Conference Semifinals in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Nashville SC returned to the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in its sophomore season after becoming just the seventh team in MLS history to go unbeaten at home in a season. Nashville SC inaugurated GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, in front of a 30,109-sellout crowd on May 1, 2022. For more information, visit NashvilleSC.com and follow the club at @NashvilleSC on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
