Nashville Soccer Club (3W-3L-2D, 11 pts.) will host reigning MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at GEODIS Park.
To celebrate their recently announced partnership extension with Renasant, the first 10,000 fans to enter GEODIS Park will receive a Walker Zimmerman bobblehead. The centerback was traded to Nashville SC in the club’s inaugural season from LAFC for a historic transfer figure for a defender in Major League Soccer. Since joining Nashville SC, Zimmerman has been elevated to Designated Player status en route to earning MLS Best XI honors in each season and MLS Defender of the Year in 2020 and 2021.
The fixture will mark the third all-time meeting between Nashville SC and LAFC. The two sides split results last season with visiting victories, as Nashville SC was a member of the Western Conference. Come Saturday, GEODIS Park will play host to two of the last four recipients of the Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award, Hany Mukhtar (2022) and Carlos Vela (2019).
Earlier today, Nashville SC Head Coach Gary Smith and midfielder Aníbal Godoy previewed the match. Coach Smith gave praise to LAFC and their form to start the season, as he also discussed the positivity and balance he will ask from the attack this weekend. Godoy spoke about the tactics Nashville SC will need to implement to contain LAFC’s offense.
Off the pitch, Nashville SC will host its annual Greener Goals Night on Saturday as part of Earth Day. To underscore the League’s commitment to raising awareness about ocean plastic waste and eliminating CO2-emitting plastics production, MLS players will be sporting adidas One Planet jerseys, a kit made with Parley recycled ocean plastic. Nashville SC will be sporting Acid Green while LAFC will wear the Black version of these jerseys.
As part of the celebration, the club will also honor youth recipients of the Nashville SC Greener Goals award, which in partnership with the Mayor’s Youth Council and Cumberland River Compact, provides grant funds for youth-led climate change projects, as Heroes of the Match. Nashville SC will also highlight representatives of Water Warriors, an organization that brings together youth, professional artists, and environmental agencies to create art representing water conservation out of plastics.
GEODIS PARK’S ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP FOR APRIL 22:
Main Act: Nashville SC vs. LAFC
Opening Act: Cousin Simple
GEODIS WeHo Club: Mutual Groove
In-house DJ: HISH
National Anthem: Julia Cole
Guitar Riff: Derek Wells
Halftime Show: Julia Cole
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
- Television: MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV App
- 104.5 The Zone for English radio
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.
