With the Gold Cup match between the U.S. and Panama scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m., the city of Nashville and soccer fans in the region got out their red, white, and blue, and got ready for one of the most important soccer matches Nashville has ever seen.
The match comes as Nashville announced it's hoping to get an Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion team in Middle Tennessee.
“For Nashville, this is a huge weekend, not only to show the country that they can be a soccer city, but they’re also looking at an MLS expansion bid, and commissioner Dan Garber is going to be in town." Tony Meola, U.S. soccer legend who won two Gold Cups and an MLS Cup as a goalie, said. "You always want to make a good impression, right? And show the committee and the rest of the country that if you do get an MLS team, you will be successful when they get here.”
The commissioner of the MLS, Don Garber, held a press conference on Friday where he said, prior to the game even happening, that he was impressed by how Nashville has presented itself to the MLS, and that the city has moved toward the top of his list in teams he'd like to see have an MLS team.
Garber also said that the success of the Nashville Predators and the support the team saw during their Stanley Cup Playoffs run was extremely encouraging, showing what Nashville could be in terms of a soccer town.
Local supporters of the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT), known as the American Outlaws, said this game will give fans an opportunity to not only show their support for America's soccer team, but also the passion they can bring when it comes to soccer.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and tickets are still available to purchase.
