The end of a busy August is upon us as FC Cincinnati hit the road to close out the month against the current leader in the Supporters’ Shield table and a foe who always provides a tough test no matter the situation.
FC Cincinnati head to Music City to take on Nashville SC at GEODIS Park on Saturday night. The Orange and Blue are looking to rise in the Eastern Conference table and close an eight-match month with a victory, while NSC will look to continue their pursuit of the top of the table.
The Orange and Blue are 4-1-2 in August across all competitions, but after dropping points in their last match (a home draw with Seattle) and bowing out of Leagues Cup early, there is a bad taste left in everyone's mouth due to the recent run of results FCC have been able to earn. The matchup against Nashville provides an opportunity to rinse that feeling and earn an important 3 points.
“It’s felt sour, of course, because I think we've been playing better, and especially in the last three games: Orlando, New York, and Seattle. It's like we're doing well. We're creating chances, and only got five points out of it. So of course we're gonna be disappointed because we always want more,” FC Cincinnati keeper Roman Celentano said ahead of this match. “But I'm happy with the way things are going, like the trajectory of our team. We still have to clamp a lot of things with and without the ball down, and that's gonna happen. But I think the path that we're on we should be expecting to get more out of those types of games and those types of weeks. But that just means we have to get it done next time out.”
The matchup with Nashville SC pits two sides that have exhibited different kinds of greatness this year. FC Cincinnati lead the league in goals scored this season with 49, while NSC lead the league in the fewest goals conceded, allowing just 17 on the season. Meaning it will be a test of strength for both sides.
“It's a strong group that will be a good test for us,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said in his prematch press conference on Thursday. “(Nashville SC Head Coach B.J. Callaghan) is doing a great job. You can see with the amount of time he's been with the group, the consistency of the players…they're the best team in the league. But what sticks out is the consistency of their play over the course of the season. I think both sides of the ball are very effective in their play. How they step to the ball, how they make it difficult for opponents to break them down. I think they all work in a really strong way together, they can beat you with possession. They can be in transition, which is pretty clear when you watch them as far as where they can pose a real threat. But they can beat you with direct play. They can be scrappy set pieces. They've had some nice designs. I think it's typically when you're talking about the best teams, they do a lot of things well, and that's what we're seeing from them.”
Historically, the matchup with Nashville has always been defined by tight margins and physical battles. In fact, more often than not in this series it's been the away side to come out on top. But that history helps prepare FC Cincinnati for what's coming this weekend and further builds anticipation in the locker room.
“I just want to win…every time we play Nashville, it's a big game. They're always competitive. They're always good,” FC Cincinnati Goalkeeper Roman Celentano said of the match. “We know it's going to be tough, and in a tough environment going down to Nashville. They're the best team in the league right now and they look every bit of it, so I'm just excited for the opportunity we have.”
FC Cincinnati at Nashville SC – Saturday, August 29, 2026 – 8:30 p.m. ET – GEODIS Park
Watch/Stream (English/Spanish): Apple TV
English Local Radio: ESPN 1530
Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM
History vs Nashville SC
FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC meet Saturday for the 11th time in MLS Regular Season play
and the 16th time in all competitions, which includes four draws in 2018 when the two clubs were part of USL and a 2023 Leagues Cup Round of 32 matchup. The Orange and Blue swept the season series in 2025, winning both games 2-1, with both game-winning goals for FC Cincinnati coming in stoppage time. Kévin Denkey’s 90’+1 PK served as the winner in the March match in Nashville while Evander’s 90' +8 goal at the death in September provided Cincinnati with a dramatic, late three points.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
(Courtesy of *FC Cincinnati Communications*)
Music City Maestros – Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati are an unbeaten 2-0-1 against Nashville SC in GEODIS Park. NSC last beat FCC in Nashville in July 2021.
High Scoring Offense – FC Cincinnati’s 49 goals in MLS play this season co-lead MLS (Inter Miami CF, 49). Entering Matchday 23, only two other clubs have scored more than 40 times, one of which is Nashville SC (43).
With still 13 MLS Regular Season matches to go, FC Cincinnati’s 49 goals in MLS play and 72 goals in all competitions approach club records in the FC Cincinnati MLS era (64 in MLS, 2022; 79 in all competitions; 2023).
FC Cincinnati have scored at least one goal in 18 consecutive MLS matches, which is the club record.
Busy August – Saturday concludes the first eight-match month in FC Cincinnati history, the most games the club have ever played in a single month. FCC are 4-1-2 in August in all competitions entering the Nashville match.
Evander’s MVP Case – Among all MLS players in 2026, Evander ranks first in: Goal Contributions (24), Assists (11) and Goals scored outside the box (6). He has scored 21 goals from outside the penalty area since 2024, which is the most in MLS over that span (2nd: Lionel Messi, 17).
Evander is also just six goals shy of matching Brandon Vazquez’s 43 goals in all competitions for FC Cincinnati for second place in club history.
Nashville SC enter this matchup as the top team in the league and have been separating themselves from the pack of late, building a 10-point lead in the Eastern Conference and a 9-point lead in the Supporters’ Shield table.
With wins in each of their last three MLS matches, Nashville has maintained an undefeated home record in 2026 and have dropped points only once at GEODIS Park this season.
Despite a trio of high-quality, star attackers in the locker room for Nashville SC, the Music City squad has built their success on the back of a staunch defense.
“I think defensively they work, they make it difficult, which presents more transition moments because they're doing a good job of helping to create turnovers,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said ahead of the match. “Just all around strong players.”
Managed by Head Coach BJ Callaghan, Nashville SC has conceded just 17 goals this season. With a 4-3-3 formation as their primary shape, the squad’s back line is led by Jeisson Palacios and Maxwell Woledzi, with Daniel Lovitez and Andy Najar on the outside flanks.
In net for Nashville is a 2026 MLS All-Star, Brian Schwake, who is in his second year with the side. A Chicago native, who played youth soccer and is still friends with FCC keeper Roman Cenlentano, has made 60 saves this season en route to 9 clean sheets.
The forward group for Nashville, though, is where the star power lies, further emphasizing the quality of the squad. At the top of the formation for NSC are captain and 2022 MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar, English forward and 2025 MLS Golden Boot runner-up Sam Surridge, and newcomer to the squad in 2026, Christian Espinoza. Espinoza joined the side this year after six years in San Jose and leads the team in assists with 10. In all, the trio have combined for 40 goal contributions this season.
“The front three, Espinoza is a fantastic player. Surridge and Mukhtar have been there. They have weapons, and they are opportunistic. But they're opportunistic because they, I think, read the game well,” Noonan said of the Nashville star trio. “Understand spacing, transitions, duels, because when you watch them, there's moments where they understand how to move off the ball to gain an advantage. They understand how to compete for direct play and pick up and anticipate second balls. Where now you have a real advantage with space to attack. They're all very good in front of goal on the dribble, creating their own shot. So it's a very strong attacking trio. I don't want to lose sight of some of these other players, but those are the names that we're typically talking about.”
