FC Cincinnati, Nashville SC square off in Leagues Cup at TQL Stadium
Not much time has passed since FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC last met but you might argue the stakes of their next encounter have been heightened.
After closing out their Major League Soccer season series July 15 at TQL Stadium, FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC meet again in Cincinnati Friday in Leagues Cup.
FCC will put its all-competitions, Major League Soccer-best record on the line, along with its unbeaten home record in 2023, against a Nashville team looking to make waves in the summer tournament in the midst of a mostly-positive but up-and-down campaign.
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What's at stake in the match?
The latest FC Cincinnati-Nashville SC match is an elimination game in Leagues Cup, the midseason tournament that Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga MX paused their domestic seasons for. The game occurs in the Round of 32 − the first knockout round following the group stage of the tournament.
The stakes are high for this match. In the midst of Lionel Messi's ongoing scoring flourish and MLS heavyweight LAFC dominating its Round of 32 opponent, FC Juarez, on Wednesday, FC Cincinnati versus Nashville SC might not move the proverbial meter, but they're playing for the opportunity for a marquee home match.
The corresponding match in the Central region bracket is Chicago Fire versus Club America, which is considered by many to be the most successful and the most popular soccer team in North America. Should America advance past Chicago, FC Cincinnati or Nashville would then host the Mexican powerhouse.
FC Cincinnati won the "Central 3" group to round out the Round of 32 while Nashville posted a win and a loss in "Central 4," and needed help to advance, which it received in the final group match between Toluca and Colorado Rapids.
When FC Cincinnati dispatched Nashville on July 15 at TQL Stadium in a 3-1 FCC victory, Cincinnati put 13 points between itself and Nashville in the Eastern Conference standings. That separation made it very difficult for Nashville to catch FC Cincinnati this season.
"Yeah, I think both teams are familiar with each other." FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said. "This will be the third time we've faced off and, you know, in how the games look, I don't anticipate drastic changes other than the subtleties of personnel and shape... we anticipate a lot of the same from our last two games, and knowing that they're a very difficult team to breakdown. And then, excellent in transition. So, those are a lot of our talking points."
Nashville can return the favor Friday by knocking Cincinnati out of Leagues Cup.
Update: No debut for Nashville's newest player
When Cincinnati and Nashville met July 15, FC Cincinnati was able to pull from its bench a striker of international quality in Aaron Boupendza, and Boupendza helped FCC salt the match away with a very late goal. Nashville would love to do the same thing to FC Cincinnati via its new striker, Sam Surridge, but they won't be able to.
Surridge was introduced as a Nashville player July 28, and Nashville head coach Gary Smith announced Thursday Surridge wouldn't be available to play against FC Cincinnati as the club continues onboarding him and increasing his fitness levels.
Nashville acquired Surridge, 25, of England, during the since-closed secondary transfer window from Nottingham Forest of the English Premier League. The 6-foot-3 target man is well-traveled, having played for seven different clubs in England. Most of that experience came while out on loan as an AFC Bournemouth player.
The Game
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET, Friday | TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
Stream/radio: Apple TV; ESPN1530
Series info: Since 2021, Nashville SC and FC Cincinnati have split the all-time series in MLS with a 2-2-2 record. Including the 2018 USL regular season and playoffs, the clubs have tied five total times (2-2-5).
Cincinnati.com prediction: FC Cincinnati 2, Nashville SC 1
FC Cincinnati
Record: 1-0-1 in Leagues Cup (15-2-6 in MLS Eastern Conference; 19-2-8 all competitions)
Goals for: Six
Goals against: Four
Coach: Pat Noonan – second season at FC Cincinnati
Projected starting lineup:
Alec Kann, goalkeeper
Alvaro Barreal, left back
Yerson Mosquera, center back
Matt Miazga, center back
Ian Murphy, center back
Alvas Powell, right back
Obinna Nwobodo, midfielder
Junior Moreno, midfielder
Luciano Acosta, midfielder
Brandon Vazquez, forward
Aaron Boupendza, forward
Nashville SC
Record: 1-1-0 (11-8-5 in MLS Eastern Conference; 14-10-5 overall)
Goals scored in Leagues Cup: Five
Goals against: Five
Coach: Gary Smith – Sixth season as Nashville head coach (fourth season in MLS)
Projected starting lineup:
Joe Willis, goalkeeper
Shaq Moore, right back
Walker Zimmerman, center back
Jack Maher, center back
Daniel Lovitz, right back
Sean Davis, midfielder
Dax McCarty, midfielder
Alex Muyl, forward/winger
Hany Mukhtar, midfielder
Fafà Picault, forward
Jacob Shaffelburg, forward
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati, Nashville SC square off in Leagues Cup at TQL Stadium
