Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution
2026 MLS Regular Season | Matchday 3
Saturday, Mar. 7 | 7:30 p.m. CT
GEODIS Park | Nashville, TN
Nashville SC vs Minnesota United
Saturday, Mar. 7 at GEODIS Park | 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast Details
Watch | Apple TV
Listen | 104.5 The Zone
Nashville SC returns to MLS action Saturday after a week of rest, looking to maintain its unbeaten start to the season against Minnesota United at GEODIS Park. The Boys in Gold sit second in the Eastern Conference as its joint-top-scoring and joint-best-defensive club ahead of kickoff, with an opportunity to improve against the also-unbeaten Loons.
Key Storylines
Holding it down
While Nashville’s high-flying attack (11 goals in four games, a club record) has been the story of its young 2026 season, its defense has been arguably its most impressive unit. The Boys in Gold have conceded just one goal — a consolation when leading 3-0 in its MLS opener — so far and logged three clean sheets on the way, including one against FC Dallas and star striker Petar Musa. No club in the Eastern Conference has conceded fewer goals in that span.
Key to Nashville’s impeccable defensive effort has been its ability to rotate without sacrificing quality. Its starting back line has remained consistent through its first two MLS games, with Dan Lovitz and Andy Najar either side of Maxwell Woledzi and Jeisson Palacios, but head coach B.J. Callaghan has rested each at various points, be it mid-game substitutions or breaks during Concacaf Champions Cup clashes. Nine defensive players have seen the field in all competitions in 2026, ensuring fresh legs and immense energy no matter which assortment Callaghan opts for. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake is the lone defensive player to log every minute this season and, dating back to 2025, still has yet to lose a game for the club as a starter.
Nashville’s success Saturday — and this season — will no doubt rest on the shoulders of its many talented forwards. But keeping goals out is just as important as punching them in, and this unit has proved as good as any at that.
A battle of 10s?
Minnesota made international headlines this offseason by signing blockbuster midfielder James Rodriguez — one of the best players in the history of the Colombian national team and a hero of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The 34-year-old has yet to make his debut for the club since his move was finalized in January but may well suit up on Saturday, setting the stage for a heavyweight battle between two of MLS’s most talented attacking midfielders.
Nashville captain Hany Mukhtar is one of the few players who can challenge, and perhaps exceed, Rodriguez for quality in the modern MLS landscape. He is inarguably one of the best midfielders in league history, leads all active players in goal involvements and won the 2022 MVP award. Throughout their history, the Boys in Gold have largely gone where Mukhtar takes them, from an expansion franchise into an MLS mainstay into an MLS Cup Contender and reigning U.S. Open Cup champion.
Rodriguez and Mukhtar are two players with the potential — and the proven ability — to bring their teams to dizzying heights. Should they both suit up on Saturday, it may well be a dizzying game, too.
Series History + What's Next
Nashville and Minnesota are not common foes. The clubs have only squared off four times in their shared history, drawing twice with one win apiece. The most recent match between the Boys in Gold and Loons came almost three years ago in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal stage at GEODIS Park, a match Nashville won 5-0 en route to the tournament’s championship game.
The Boys in Gold will remain in Music City after Saturday’s match to prepare for the first leg of their Round of 16 matchup with Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Columbus Crew on March 14.
