Nashville SC 2022 Season Preview: Storylines to Watch

2021.10.16 @ DC-42

The Boys in Gold kick off their 2022 Major League Soccer campaign this Sunday on the road at Seattle Sounders FC. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. CT and will air on MyTV30, stream on our website and live on the iHeartRadio app and El Jefe 96.7 FM. Click here for more broadcast info.

If you’re just now getting back into soccer season after a few months off the pitch, here’s everything you need to know as the 2022 season gets underway:

New Home, Same Advantage – While Nashville SC will start the 2022 season on the road, all eyes remain on May 1 when the club opens the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States with a matchup against the Philadelphia Union.

The 30,000-seat stadium will feature a 360-degree canopy, a 65-foot-wide shared concourse, safe standing supporters' section and just 150 feet of distance between the last row to the touchline.

You won’t want to miss this historic moment at the new Nashville SC Stadium. Click here to get your season tickets today.

Go West, Young Man – With expansion Charlotte FC entering the league this season, Nashville SC has shifted over to the Western Conference for the 2022 season. That means the Boys in Gold will face seven new opponents this year in their third season in the league.

It will also mean more extensive travel, with trips scheduled to Los Angeles, San Jose, Portland and Vancouver, among others.

Boys in Gold On Tour – While the club puts the finishing touches on the new Nashville SC Stadium ahead of May 1, the team will head out on an eight-match road trip to start the season. It won’t be all unfamiliar territory for Nashville SC, however, as the club has faced four of the eight opponents on the road previously in its first two seasons.

That lengthy road trip at the start of the campaign also means a more home-heavy schedule for the rest of the season. After May 1, Nashville SC will not play multiple matches in a row on the road.

Award-Winners Return - Nashville’s star power is back for the 2022 season.

Back-to-back MLS Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman returns to anchor the Nashville SC backline. Last season, the Boys in Gold conceded just 33 regular season goals, tied for the fewest in MLS. Nashville’s 13 shutouts led the league as well.

Midfielder Hany Mukhtar is back after earning a spot in the MLS Best XI and finishing second in Landon Donovan MVP voting. The German registered 28 goals + assists in 2021, the most of any player in MLS this regular season. He also scored three goals in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the most of any player through the first two rounds.

Friends in New Places - Nashville SC brought in some fresh faces to the squad for the 2022 season as well.

Midfielder Sean Davis joined the club as a free agent after 182 MLS appearances with New York Red Bulls. He’ll join an already-strong midfield group with former Red Bulls teammate Dax McCarty, Aníbal Godoy and Brian Anunga.

In attack, forwards Teal Bunbury and Ethan Zubak supplement a group that led Nashville SC to 55 goals in 2021, tied for sixth-best in MLS.