NASHVILLE - The race for the playoffs is heating up, and even though Nashville SC (7W-6L-7D, 28 pts.) has already clinched a spot in the Audi Major League Soccer Cup Playoffs, there’s still plenty for which to play.
The Boys in Gold host playoff hopefuls Chicago Fire FC (5W-9L-6D, 21 pts.) in a Halloween showdown at Nissan Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Nashville will look to extend its home unbeaten run to nine matches since the restart. Currently in sixth place of the Eastern Conference with 1.4 points per game, Nashville SC will now aim for the highest seed possible entering the final week of the regular season.
Here’s everything you need to know about tomorrow’s match:
Date: Saturday, October 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Nissan Stadium
TV: MyTV30
In-Market Stream: YouTubeTV, AT&T TV, NashvilleSC.com/stream
Out-of-Market Stream: ESPN+
English Radio: ESPN 94.9
Spanish Radio: El Jefe 96.7
Broadcast FAQs
Click here for tickets
Click here for stadium safety information
A Season-Defining Win - Nashville SC has had plenty of signature moments this year, including a record-breaking crowd at its MLS debut and its first win in its first match of the season restart.
Nashville’s 1-0 win against Montreal Impact on Tuesday night at Red Bull Arena belongs in that category of signature moments. The victory put Nashville a step away from clinching a playoff berth, which they accomplished on Wednesday thanks to losses by Atlanta United FC and Inter Miami CF. While simply making the playoffs is a major accomplishment, winger Alex Muyl says the team is far from satisfied.
“When you’re an expansion team in your first year, a lot of people create that storyline,” Muyl said. “But I think we’ve shown we’re very much good enough to make the playoffs, and that shouldn’t be the goal for us. We have guys on this team that are very ambitious. Making the playoffs, as much as that might be an accomplishment, that’s the very least for us.”
Lighting a Fire - Nashville SC enters this match in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, moving up with its win over Montreal and with MLS’ switch to points per match as the determining factor for playoff qualification.
Meanwhile, Chicago Fire FC sits in 10th place with three other playoff-hungry clubs within striking distance beneath them. Despite having a game in hand, the Fire will come into this match desperate to get points and stave off those teams. Captain Dax McCarty, who played for the Fire from 2017 to 2019, says he’s fully prepared to face a Chicago side playing for its playoff life.
“I come into this game under no illusions that this will be an easy game because of the position that they’re in,” McCarty said. “I do see them as being one of the better teams in the conference that’s maybe been a bit hard done by their results. Now they’re desperate. Anytime you play a team that has talent and a team that’s desperate, that can be a very dangerous combination if you’re not ready to play and you’re not on your A-game.
Fort Nissan - Since the MLS regular season restarted, Nashville has not lost a match at home with four wins and four draws. So far this season, the club’s only home loss came on opening night all the way back on February 29.
Muyl says that home form has been crucial down the stretch, especially thanks to the fans who have returned to Nissan Stadium in a limited capacity.
“I think we’re making it a fortress,” Muyl said. “I think since I’ve been here, we haven’t lost at home and I don’t really know what it is. With the fans coming in it’s definitely been helpful, because the fans are amazing. It’s amazing to see the fans in Nashville be so excited and so supportive. I don’t really know what it is, but we’ve made it a fortress and that’s really going to pay dividends in the long run. If you can not lose at home and win most games that’s the foundation of a really good team.”
