The Boys in Gold are seeking a fourth consecutive result at The Castle on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Last time out, the squad put three past Atlanta United in Nashville’s highest-scoring match of the season. Hany Mukhtar registered two assists, while Jacob Shaffelburg, Fafá Picault and Teal Bunbury shared the goalscoring exploits on the day to move the club into 4th place in the Eastern Conference with a 4W-3L-3D record.
“The whole performance was a more complete one last weekend against a very good team,” said head coach Gary Smith. “It was nice to be able to look back and reflect on one or two of the periods in the game that we either dominated and did well in or struggled. I think that in itself gives us a much better foundation to move on from, and of course the confidence from beating one of the top sides in the Eastern Conference is always a bit of a boost as well.”
You won’t want to miss this Eastern Conference matchup or a Hany Mukhtar face cutout for the first 10,000 fans to enter GEODIS Park on Saturday. Tickets are still available here. Can’t make the match? Watch onMLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. Learn more and sign up.
Date: Saturday, May 6,2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
TV:Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio:104.5 The Zone and the 104.5 The Zone App
Tickets
A-Z Matchday Guide
GEODIS Park Policies
Transportation Info
Matchday Lineup
Long Time No See – Nashville SC and the Chicago Fire have only faced off three times in Major League Soccer play, with the Boys in Gold owning a 1W-0L-2D record against the Fire. The long wait between this weekend and the last matchup on Sept. 26, 2021 against the Fire is in part due to Nashville SC’s 2022 switch to the Western Conference. Despite that gap in between matchups, it’s easy to remember the last home match against the Fire on July 17, 2021. That was the match Hany Mukhtar scored the fastest hat trick from kickoff in MLS history.
Locking Down The Castle – Nashville SC has put up league-leading defensive numbers at GEODIS Park so far in 2023. The team has conceded the joint-fewest goals in MLS play this season with six, with only three of those goals coming on our home turf. The Boys in Gold have also shut out opponents in the first half in nine of 10 matches played this season, a stat that no other MLS team can claim.
“We know that once we opened up GEODIS [Park last year], it was still a little of a challenge for us,” Bunbury said. “We weren’t getting the results right away. I think for us this year, it’s trying to build off of this and making sure it’s the castle, fortress that we’re talking about and being motivated every match against whoever we’re playing that we’re locked in and ready to go. The fans make it that much more enjoyable as well.”
This Saturday will mark the Chicago Fire’s first ever trip to GEODIS Park, and the Boys In Gold will look to extend their run of favorable home results at The Castle. A win, combined with other results around the league, can ensure that Nashville SC finishes MLS Matchday 11 as high as third in the East.
