Orlando City (10-8-8, 38 pts) starts a massive week with a six-pointer at Nashville SC (11-3-12, 45 pts), the side currently in second place in the Eastern Conference. The match is set to kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET from Nissan Stadium in Tennessee and will be televised locally with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. on FOX35 PLUS, with free streaming available through the LionNation app. Local radio coverage will be available from 8 p.m. on FM 96.9 the Game in English and Acción 97.9 FM in Spanish.
Here’s everything you need to know about Nashville:
Key Transactions and Player News
Key Additions - F Aké Loba (Monterrey), F CJ Sapong (Chicago Fire FC)
Key Departures - F David Accam (Hammarby), CM Derrick Jones (Houston Dynamo), CF Dominique Badji (Colorado Rapids)
Player News - DP No. 10 Hany Mukhtar has entered his name firmly into the Landon Donovan MLS MVP conversation over the past two months, leading Nashville to the second spot in the East. Mukhtar has five goals and five assists in his last eight games going back to August 8. The German currently leads MLS with 21 total goal contributions on the season.
Take a look at Nashville’s full roster here.
Team Form
Last we saw Nashville, there were questions about their ability to close out games and win on the road. They have answered both over the past six weeks, going 3-1-1 in five away games since last facing Orlando City on August 18. They’ve also kept up their undefeated mark at home, sporting an 8-0-6 record at Nissan Stadium this season. Nashville is the only team in MLS without a home loss in 2021.
Head-to-Head
Orlando City is 1-1-2 all-time against Nashville, with both of the draws coming at Nissan Stadium. The two sides tied 1-1 last year with a Benji Michel banger canceling out a Randall Leal goal, and the teams repeated the scoreline back on August 18, when CJ Sapong scored his seventh career goal against Orlando City only to see Antonio Carlos head the Lions back even.
Rasmussen University Fact
Nashville’s last home loss happened on November 4, 2020, just four days before Nashville would go on to upset Orlando City at Exploria Stadium on Decision Day and ruin the Lions’ own undefeated home campaign. The team that beat Nashville? None other than FC Dallas, Oscar Pareja’s former team.
