The Boys in Gold are headed to the Windy City this Saturday for this week’s Eastern Conference matchup.
After a clean sheet victory at The Castle in front of a sell-out crowd that saw Randall Leal score two goals, Nashville will hit the road again to take on the Chicago Fire Saturday night. Nashville SC, who is unbeaten in four all-time meetings against the Fire (2W-0L-2D), will look to continue that streak Saturday. In the team’s last meeting against the Fire, reigning MVP Hany Mukhtar recorded his third career hat trick in a 3-0 win at GEODIS Park.
Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)
Radio: 104.5 The Zone and the 104.5 The Zone App
Watch Party: North Plaza
Familiar Faces - Nashville SC midfielder Dax McCarty will be getting ready to take on his former club for the fifth time in his career this week after being traded to Nashville SC in 2020 ahead of the Boys in Gold’s inaugural season. McCarty played for Chicago between the 2017 and 2019 seasons.
“I think the first time when you go back and play an old team, I think there’s always a little bit of extra spice and motivation there. But we’ve already played them a number of times in my Nashville career and I’ve already gotten that out of my system,” McCarty said. “I know some people that still work in the support staff and front office but the team has changed a lot since then. I have a lot of respect for that organization and I’m looking forward to going back and hopefully getting a win.”
The Diamond - Throughout the season, the Boys in Gold have made changes to their formation, most recently with the introduction of the diamond formation. The diamond formation utilizes four central midfielders which can be used in several ways for attacking and defensive purposes.
“I’ve always been a big fan of the diamond because of how unique of a formation it is, especially in the modern game. I think it works for us because all of us are good in certain roles where we can roam and be free in the midfield,” McCarty said. “Guys like Randall, Sean, Muyl, Ján, and Brian, we just have a lot of genuinely good soccer players. I’m a firm believer that if you win the middle of the field, you’re always going to have a good chance to win.”
