Nashville SC Will Play First MLS Regular Season Match since July 15, 2023 on Saturday, Aug. 26

Fans Can Follow the Action on the MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV App and on Radio on 104.5 The Zone  

Nashville Soccer Club (11W-8L-5D, 38 pts.) will travel south to face rival Atlanta United FC as the Boys in Gold resume their Major League Soccer regular season after their impressive run in Leagues Cup 2023 play. Nashville SC ultimately concluded its participation as runner-up after taking Inter Miami CF to a 1-1 draw in regulation and falling after 11 rounds of penalty kicks in a shootout that came down to each side’s goalkeeper stepping up to the spot.

With Nashville’s second-place finish in Leagues Cup 2023, it has secured a First-Round entrance into the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. The Concacaf Champions Cup is a continental club tournament held annually, hosted by the Concacaf federation. Nashville SC is now guaranteed a spot among the 27 clubs that will compete for international silverware in this tournament.

Nashville SC is currently in goal-scoring form with an eight-match goal scoring streak that includes all seven matches from Leagues Cup 2023 and began on July 15, 2023 at TQL Stadium as it faced FC Cincinnati in its last MLS match before the regular season paused.

Nashville SC has a 3W-2L-3D record over its eight matches squaring off with the Atlanta side in MLS history. The Boys in Gold have not lost a match to the Five Stripes in the last six fixtures, dating back to August 2020.

Nashville SC has also registered multi-goal games against Atlanta United FC in six of its total eight outings in MLS. Nashville’s highest goal total against the Five Stripes came in a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta side on Sept. 12, 2020 at Nissan Stadium. Most recently, Nashville SC won a competition between the two at a 3-1 scoreline on Apr. 29, 2023 with goals from Fafà Picault, Teal Bunbury and Jacob Shaffelburg.

Nashville SC will be without Picault and Taylor Washington due to red cards received by each player in Nashville SC’s July 15, 2023 match with FC Cincinnati. However, Nashville SC will welcome back Randall Leal from an injury he suffered in the group stage of Leagues Cup 2023 play and Jack Maher from an injury he suffered on July 8, 2023 at Chicago Fire FC. Nashville SC will also welcome back Aníbal Godoy after the midfielder was gone for June and July as he captained Panama’s run through the Concacaf Nations League tournament and the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Nashville SC also signed a third Designated Player in Sam Surridge on July 25, 2023 from English Premier League side Nottingham Forest to add depth to its attack. Surridge registered three goals and two assists through his four appearances in Leagues Cup 2023 play, and could make his MLS debut on the weekend.

Earlier today, Head Coach Gary Smith and forward Jacob Shaffelburg addressed the media and discussed the team’s recent performance in the Leagues Cup 2023 and how it has given them momentum for the remainder of the MLS season. They also addressed concerns about a potential slump after the high of the tournament, their rivalry with Atlanta, and highlighted the positive impact of new players such as Sam Surridge and their creativity on the field.     

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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.