Nashville Soccer Club (3W-2L-1D, 10 pts.) returns to GEODIS Park at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night to host conference foe Toronto FC (1W-1L-4D, 6 pts.). The Boys in Gold enter Matchday 7 tied in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 10 points.
Earlier today, Nashville SC Head Coach Gary Smith and winger Jacob Shaffelburg spoke with the media about the excellent road result the side is coming off of and how to translate that at GEODIS Park this weekend. Smith also spoke about the positive growth that Toronto FC has experienced in the past decade.
Shaffleburg, a former Toronto FC winger, spoke about the excitement of facing his former club for the first time and his mentality going into the match as well as how much he is enjoying life in Nashville and how easy it has been to get acclimated with the city.
The Boys in Gold are headed towards Matchday 7 with momentum after earning a great road result against Orlando City SC. Nashville SC is the best defensive team in MLS, having conceded the fewest goals this season (2). Goalkeeper Joe Willis has recorded four shutouts in six matches and leads all of MLS in save percentage at 91.3%.
Reigning MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar and Walker Zimmerman were named to MLS Team of the Matchday 6 for their performances against Orlando. Zimmerman anchored the backline to its fourth clean sheet in six matches in his 200th career MLS start, while Mukhtar recorded a goal and an assist in a match for the eighth time since 2020.
Few margins have separated Nashville SC and Toronto FC throughout their young series history. Overall, Nashville SC owns a 2W-2L-1D record against Toronto in all competitions but has not defeated Toronto in its last three attempts. Nashville SC, however, defeated Toronto in extra-time in the sides’ first-ever meeting which took place in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Following the match on Saturday, the club will conduct its post-match media availability in the press conference room at GEODIS Park in person and via Zoom. Footage will be distributed upon conclusion.
GEODIS PARK’S ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP FOR APRIL 8:
Main Act: Nashville SC vs. Toronto FC
Opening Act: Juke of June
GEODIS WeHo Club: Jake Dupree
In-house DJ: SHEA•K
National Anthem: David Andrew
Guitar Riff: Marc Scibilia
Halftime Show: Marc Scibilia
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.
