After two weeks off, Nashville SC (6W-4L-4D, 22 pts.) is finally back in action.
The Boys in Gold are back at GEODIS Park this Saturday night taking on the San Jose Earthquakes (3W-6L-5D, 14 pts.) in a nationally televised match at 7 p.m. CT. It’s the first match for Nashville since going on the road and beating the Colorado Rapids 3-1 on May 28.
Nashville SC returns to GEODIS Park for its sixth-ever match in the building across all competitions since it opened on May 1 of this year. The Boys in Gold are currently riding the longest active home unbeaten streak in MLS at 24 matches. The team has a 3W-0L-2D record at the new venue and has scored two or more goals in all but one match there.
Saturday’s match is also Nashville SC’s Pride Night, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and raising funds in support of programming and advocacy initiatives focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. A special Pride Night ticket bundle is available here.
Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s match:
Date: Saturday, June 11
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
TV: UniMás, TUDN
Web Stream: Twitter
English Radio: iHeartRadio Online, Nashville SC App
Spanish Radio: El Jefe 96.7 FM
Tickets
Pride Night Festivities
A-Z Matchday Guide
GEODIS Park Policies
Parking and Transportation Info
Matchday Lineup
Refreshed and Re-Energized – After a gauntlet of matches in May, Nashville SC players and staff got time to recover during the international break.
With some time away from the pitch, the Boys in Gold came back to training in great shape and ready to go, according to Head Coach Gary Smith.
“Those eight matches in 28 days took a little bit of a toll, both physically and emotionally on the players,” Smith said. “We finished it off on a great note and then went into a few days of rest and recovery. We’ve been back working at a very decent level. The guys are in good spirits, as you would well imagine. Some time spent with the family, and now they’re back and fully rejuvenated and looking forward to a very different look to the next stage of the schedule, with three out of the next four league games at home. It gives us an opportunity to try and get on the front foot and take advantage of these home matches.”
Homecoming Again – Nashville SC made GEODIS Park a comfortable home in its first month in the new building, earning three wins and two draws across all competitions. The team continued its solid home form over the last two seasons, having outscored its opponents 51-25 during its last 24 home matches.
Smith said the upcoming stretch of matches at home represents an important portion of the schedule through the heat of the summer.
“We've had 40% of [the season] in a good position, but this is where the job gets done,” Smith said. “We can’t afford to rest on our laurels at all. We’ve got three at home in the next four and we want to take advantage of that.”
San Jose Rematch – The Boys in Gold will face the Earthquakes for the second time in their history on Saturday. The first matchup came on April 16 with a 2-2 draw on the road at PayPal Park. Midfielder Hany Mukhtar scored a brace in the draw.
Since that match, the Earthquakes have changed coaches and gone unbeaten in all but two of their league matches. Forward Jeremy Ebobisse is tied for the Major League Soccer lead in goals with nine so far this season.
Smith says he is prepared for a stiff test against San Jose the second time around.
“The disappointment was born out of the fact that we didn’t beat them,” Smith said. “It wasn’t out of anything else. They are a very talented side going forward. The mistake a lot of teams make is to look at a league position or the number of goals that a team concedes and say that this might be an easy ride. It will be anything but that. … Are we confident and capable on our own turf in our stadium? Absolutely. We’re looking to try and take maximum points."
