March 11, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Nashville SC News Release
Nashville SC’s road trip rolls down to Texas this Saturday night when the Boys in Gold face FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium.
In the early weeks of the season, Nashville sits tied for third in the Western Conference with four points and is coming off a 1-1 draw at Minnesota United FC. Meanwhile, FC Dallas has one point after a draw and loss to start 2022.
Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s match:
Date: Saturday, March 12
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
TV: MyTV30
Local Stream: NashvilleSC.com/stream
Out-of-market Stream: ESPN+
English Radio: iHeartRadio Online
Spanish Radio: El Jefe 96.7
Watch Party pres. By Heineken: Corner Pub Cool Springs
Finding their Footing – Nashville SC’s four points to start the 2022 season is the best start in its Major League Soccer history through two matches.
Head Coach Gary Smith says he hopes to see even more progress from the team, particularly in the attack, after such a strong start to the season.
“The guys up front are doing a wonderful job, and all three of them looked bright as a button last week,” Smith said. “I think the three midfield players have been nothing short of spectacular in terms of their team ability and technical work. Overall, I think we can look at a group that has been tough to play against again and very decent with the ball. Can we add more goals and clear-cut chances? I’d love to see that, but at this point time I’m not prepared to turn the screw too heavily that way and give up opportunities at the other end.”
Battling Through Adversity – Going on the road in MLS is never easy. Going on the road in rainy and cold conditions is even tougher.
Nashville battled through the inclement weather in both Seattle and Minnesota to start the season with four points and extend a strong run of form away from home. The team has lost just one match in its last nine regular season road contests, earning four shutouts dating back to Sept. 22, 2021.
Smith praised his team for its fortitude while fighting through adverse situations on the road.
“There is a big emotional and physical toll for the group each weekend,” he said. “I think we’ve seen some of the possession, the understanding of the roles within the shape we’re playing currently, the connections between players have improved week on week. We created more chances last week, certainly got ourselves in much more positive and brighter positions. I’m seeing a confidence amongst the group that I didn’t necessarily see last year in the long run of away games at the end of the season.”
Familiar Foes – This will be Nashville’s fifth matchup with FC Dallas in the club’s young MLS history. The two teams faced each other four times during the 2020 season, with Nashville SC earning a 2W-1L-1D record, including the club’s first MLS win on Aug. 12, 2020.
This year’s FC Dallas squad looks quite different than the one Nashville faced in 2020. Young standouts Ricardo Pepi and Justin Che are both now in the German Bundesliga, while longtime defender Ryan Hollingshead was traded to LAFC. The MLS originals also brought in some key faces in attack, with Argentine winger Alan Velasco and MLS veteran and U.S. Men’s National Team regular Paul Arriola joining the club.
Smith said this Dallas team will be a handful in attack this weekend even as they build chemistry as a younger team with new faces.
“This group is more youthful, it’s energetic, and they’ve got a front three that want to get beyond the back line,” Smith said. “I expect that we’re going to see a team that are starting to find their feet in the new system. They are always going to be a problem with the creative players that they have.”
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