Renasant Recap: Nashville SC Remains Unbeaten in GEODIS Park Home Openers After Scoreless Draw with Red Bulls

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 25, 2024) – Nashville SC opened its 2024 Major League Soccer season on Sunday with a 0-0 draw against the New York Red Bulls in front of a sellout crowd at GEODIS Park. With the draw, the Boys in Gold remain undefeated in GEODIS Park home openers with a record of 1W-0L-2D. 

Shut It Down: After tying for the fewest goals conceded in MLS last season (32), the Boys in Gold have posted back-to-back shutouts to begin their 2024 campaign. Before shutting out the Red Bulls Sunday evening in its MLS opener, Nashville SC shut out Moca FC in a 3-0 victory last Thursday in its Concacaf Champions Cup debut.  

Welcome Home: Three Boys in Gold made their home debuts for Nashville SC Sunday against the Red Bulls. After appearing for the club during the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier this week, Tyler Boyd and Dru Yearwood took the GEODIS Park pitch for the first time, along with McKinze Gaines who made his club debut as a substitution in the 71^st minute.  

Next up: The Boys in Gold are back at the castle this Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 8:15 p.m. CT for the second leg of the club's Round One Concacaf Champions Cup series against Dominican side Moca FC. Nashville SC leads the round 3-0 on aggregate. The winner of Round One will advance to the Round of 16 to face Inter Miami CF beginning March 7. Tickets to the first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup match at GEODIS Park are available here.

Notes:           

• Nashville SC:       
  • improved its home-opener record to 1W-0L-2D at GEODIS Park
  • has not lost a home opener since Feb. 29, 2020 vs. ATL at Nissan Stadium
  • hosted a sellout crowd for the season opener at GEODIS Park
  • ‘s Starting XI featured five of the same players from its 2023 Decision Day starting XI vs. the Red Bulls (Joe Willis, Shaq Moore, Jack Maher, Sean Davis, Alex Muyl)
  • ‘s Starting XI featured three former New York Red Bulls: Sean Davis (2015-21), Alex Muyl (2016-20), Dru Yearwood (2020-23)
  • had a 78% passing accuracy on the night
• Tyler Boyd made his MLS debut for Nashville SC 
• McKinze Gaines made his debut for Nashville SC
• Lukas MacNaughton led the team with seven clearances
• Joe Willis 
  • recorded his first clean sheet of the 2024 MLS regular season
  • recorded his second clean sheet during 2024 play (3-0 vs. Moca FC in Concacaf Champions Cup)
  • recorded four saves on the night
  • recorded his third consecutive clean sheet to open regular season play (2022, 2023, 2024) 
• Dru Yearwood made his MLS debut for Nashville SC     
• Walker Zimmerman recorded his first minutes for Nashville SC in 2024 after undergoing surgery in the offseason. Zimmerman played 33 minutes

Box Score:                  

Nashville SC (0W-0L-1D) vs. New York Red Bulls (0W-0L-1D)

Feb. 25, 2024 – GEODIS Park

Final Score:                 

NSH:  0

RBNY: 0

Discipline:                 

NSH: Sean Davis (Caution) 23’  

NSH: Tah Brian Anunga (Caution) 73’ 

NSH: Aníbal Godoy (Caution) 90’+4

Lineups:        

       
NSH Starters: Joe Willis; Lukas MacNaughton, Jack Maher, Shaq Moore, Taylor Washington; Teal Bunbury, Jacob Shaffelburg (McKinze Gaines 71’), Dru Yearwood (Tah Brian Anunga 62’), Alex Muyl (Walker Zimmerman ‘62’), Sean Davis (C) (Aníbal Godoy 62’); Tyler Boyd

Substitutes: Elliot Panicco, Dan Lovitz, Amar Sejdić, Josh Bauer, Brent Kallman 

RBNY Starters: Carlos Coronel; Noah Eile, Kyle Duncan, Dylan Nealis, Sean Nealis; Peter Stroud (Lewis Morgan 64’), Frankie Amaya, Emil Forsberg (C), Daniel Edelman; Elias Manoel (Roald Mitchell 77’), Dante Vanzeir (Wikelman Carmona 88’)

Substitutes: Ryan Meara, Andres Reyes, Julian Hall, Cameron Harper, Mohammed Sofo, Ronald Donkor 

Match Officials:           

Referee: Cristian Campo Hernandez

AR1: Fevzi Demirhan

AR2: Hector Rueda

4TH Clarence Clark

VAR: Greg Barkey

Weather: Clear, 68 degrees