Holy smokes moly. From club release:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 30, 2022) – Nashville Soccer Club in conjunction with Major League Soccer (MLS) and LIGA MX announced today that Nashville SC will host its first-ever international match at GEODIS Park as part of the Leagues Cup Showcase that will feature them against LIGA MX powerhouse Club América on Sept. 21.
The Leagues Cup Showcase series will serve as a preview to the highly anticipated 2023 Leagues Cup between all MLS and Liga MX Clubs next summer. In addition to the match in Nashville, the Leagues Cup Showcase will also feature matches in Cincinnati and Salt Lake City as they host Club Deportivo Guadalajara and Atlas FC, respectively.
Date Game Stadium
Sept. 21 FC Cincinnati vs. Club Deportivo Guadalajara TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Sept. 21 Nashville SC vs. Club América GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN
Sept. 22 Real Salt Lake vs. Atlas FC Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT
“We could not be more excited about hosting our first international match at GEODIS Park,” said Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre. “Nashville has been buzzing with excitement for soccer since we started in MLS in 2020 and even more so since we opened the doors to our new home. Facing off here against Mexico’s most decorated club side is an awesome next step on our soccer journey.”
“We’re happy and excited to visit our amazing fans in Nashville as it’s very important to us to stay connected to them and all our fans in the U.S.,” said Sporting President of Club América Santiago Baños. “The timing couldn’t be better as we will face our rival just days before Liguilla (LIGA MX playoffs). As a result, fans can expect our team to be in top shape and at our best moment. It will be a great match.”
Nashville SC season ticket holders will be able to opt into this match starting on July 5th through July 19th. Starting the following date, season ticket holders, deposit holder members and groups will have priority access to purchase tickets through an exclusive one-day presale. Tickets to the public will be go on sale on Thursday, July 21 at 9 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster.
Club América and Chivas are two of the most successful clubs in LIGA MX with 13 and 12 titles, respectively. Atlas FC is the current LIGA MX Campeón de Campeones – the overall Mexican league champion – given the club’s back-to-back Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022 season wins.
MLS and LIGA MX – which entered a partnership in 2018 rooted in the on-field rivalry as well as the true spirit of collaboration off the field – will pause their respective seasons for one month during the 2023 summer to play Leagues Cup, showcasing the soccer infrastructure and capabilities in the region in the years leading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico – the first World Cup to feature 48 countries.
The Leagues Cup Showcase, sponsored by BODYARMOR, will be broadcast on Univision and ESPN platforms in the United States, and TUDN platforms in Mexico. Additional information on the September matches, including media accreditation, will be announced at a later date.
Nashville SC release
Obviously these sorts of matches have been coming, but the fact that it now feels real that Club América – whom you may have heard of – will be visiting Music City is exciting nonetheless.
América is one of the megaclubs in Mexico, along with Chivas de Guadalajara (with several others just a tick behind, such as Monterrey and Cruz Azul). Friendly or not, bringing that type of competition to Nashville is exciting. And it’s not lost on this site the importance of appealing to a Mexican-American audience for a franchise that… has its share of missteps there.
Club and Country 