FC Cincinnati Visits Nashville SC

FC Cincinnati gets perhaps the toughest test of the three regional clubs Saturday night when the Orange and Blue travel to face MLS-leading Nashville SC.

Nashville enters the weekend atop the Supporters’ Shield standings with 49 points from 21 matches and a nine-point advantage at the top of the league-wide table. Nashville has also yet to lose an MLS match at GEODIS Park this season.

Cincinnati, however, arrives with plenty of momentum of its own.

FCC is 4-1-2 across all competitions in August, although the Orange and Blue were held to a draw by Seattle in their most recent outing. Saturday will be Cincinnati’s eighth match of August, the busiest single month in club history.
Offensively, Cincinnati has been outstanding. FCC has scored 49 goals in MLS play and has found the net in a club-record 18 consecutive MLS matches.

The centerpiece has been Evander.

The Brazilian playmaker enters Saturday leading MLS with 24 goal contributions and 11 assists. He also leads the league with six goals scored from outside the penalty area and has established himself as one of the leading candidates for league MVP honors.

Nashville presents a formidable opponent. The Boys in Gold have scored 43 goals and have combined one of MLS’s top attacks with an unbeaten home record. Saturday’s matchup also carries growing rivalry implications, with meetings between Nashville and Cincinnati traditionally producing close, physical matches.

A Cincinnati victory could significantly change the Eastern Conference picture. FCC enters the weekend with an opportunity to push into the conference’s top four, while Nashville is attempting to strengthen its grip on the Supporters’ Shield race.

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: GEODIS Park — Nashville, Tennessee
Watch: Apple TV
Radio: ESPN 1530