NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville SC is returning to the pitch in just a few short weeks for its sophomore season.
The team’s full 2021 schedule is available for fans to download and start making matchday plans. To help everyone out, here are five matches happening at Nissan Stadium you won’t want to miss.
FC Cincinnati, April 17, 7:30 p.m. CT, presented by Jackson
American Football fans probably know about “Friday Night Lights,” but Saturday Night Lights may be even more exciting. Nashville SC will face FC Cincinnati at Nissan Stadium on Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. CT. The match against Nashville’s former USL Championship rival will be inevitably electrifying. Picture it now: after 148 days, -- four long months -- soccer will be back under the lights of Nissan Stadium.
Nashville SC played FC Cincinnati four times in the 2018 USL Championship, with all four matches ending in a draw. The two squared off in the USL Championship Playoffs where the contest was decided via penalty kicks. The sides have not met in MLS with the exception of a 2020 preseason match that resulted in a 3-1 Nashville win. Fans of Nashville SC have known FC Cincinnati to be a rival since the team’s USL Championship days. Now, they get the chance to be part of a historic match as this USL Championship rivalry turns into MLS under the lights of Nissan Stadium.
Inter Miami CF, May 2, 12:00 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Just two weeks into the season, Nashville SC is set to host a familiar expansion team: Inter Miami CF. The noon kickoff on a Sunday will be shown on national television, so MLS fans across the country can see Nashville’s supporters on their screens while tuning in to the match. Nashville SC remains unbeaten against its fellow 2020 expansion team, having played three matches with two Nashville wins and one draw - the side’s first MLS win at Nissan Stadium, and a 3-0 victory in the play-in round of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. With a new head coach in former England Women’s National Team manager Phil Neville, Miami will be seeking to grab its first win against the Boys in Gold, who have proven to be up for the challenge in the past.
Austin FC, May 23, 8:00 p.m. CT (FS1)
A little over a month into the season, Nashville SC gets to face off against the newest MLS expansion team. This southern throwdown will be featured on national television as Nashville battles to maintain its title as the most successful expansion team in recent history. After the 8 p.m. CST game, MLS fans will know which team has the biggest claim to music, country cuisine and the term “it city.” Who knows, Austin FC’s part-owner Matthew McConaughey may even make an appearance?
Atlanta United FC, July 8, 7:30 p.m. CT
Deep into their season, Nashville SC will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT on a Thursday night against another southern rival. The Boys in Gold will look to lock in their second-ever victory against Atlanta United FC following the 4-2 win at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 12, 2020, when they last met. This rivalry surpasses players and fans, as former English Premier League executives Ian Ayre, CEO of Nashville SC, formerly of Liverpool FC, and Darren Eales, President of Atlanta United FC and former Tottenham Hotspur FC executive meet again this side of the pond. Nissan Stadium is sure to be rocking as supporters gather to soak up the electric atmosphere and vie for bragging rights.
Orlando City SC, August 18, 7:30 p.m. CT
Nashville SC will host Orlando City SC for the first of three matches between the two sides in the 2021 season. Orlando City and Nashville brought the energy in their encounters last season and look no further than Decision Day, presented by AT&T, when Nashville came back from a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 in stoppage time.
These are just five matches you should already have circled on their calendar, but trust us, you won’t want to miss a single one. The best way to secure seats for this season is by becoming a Season Ticket Member.
