2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 3
FC Dallas vs. Nashville SC
Toyota Stadium – Frisco
August 12 – 8:30 PM ET
STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
A day after the MLS is Back Tournament final is played, the two teams who didn't get to compete in Orlando square off in Frisco as FC Dallas host Nashville SC in the first of back-to-back games starting Wednesday night.
Dallas and Nashville left Orlando without playing a game due to several positive COVID-19 tests in each team. And after watching the competition from home, both clubs will be anxious to resume their seasons which paused in early March due to the global pandemic.
This is the first all-time meeting between MLS originals Dallas and 2020 expansion side Nashville, but neither team will have to wait long for a second contest. That is scheduled to be played Sunday night back at Toyota Stadium.
FC Dallas
Head coach Luchi Gonzalez admitted it was difficult for him to watch the MLS is Back Tournament from the sidelines as the team's wait for a competitive match stretched to five months. Midfielder Fafa Picault believed there was enough quality in his side to have made a deep MLS is Back run, perhaps even winning it all.
And while young players like the Philadelphia Union duo of Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie have shined in Orlando, both increasing their stock among European suitors, there's no shortage of rising talented players at FC Dallas who surely would have been in the spotlight, including midfielder Paxton Pomykal and forward Jesus Ferreira, who viewed the tournament as a chance to prove he's among the elite of young MLS players. Dallas will also be able to call upon Argentinean striker Franco Jara for the first time following his arrival from Liga MX's Pachuca.
FC Dallas return to league play after securing four points from the opening two weeks of the season, beating the aforementioned Union 2-0 and drawing the Montreal Impact 2-2.
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- OUT: None
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: None
- International duty: None
Nashville SC
Nashville SC aren't just excited to get back on the field for the first time since March, the expansion side are still hungry for the club's first-ever MLS victory. Nashville CEO Ian Ayre used the word "devastated" to describe the team's mentality when they left the MLS is Back Tournament following nine positive COVID-19 tests. But after shedding the initial disappointment, Nashville were back to work to prepare for the resumption of their first MLS regular season.
In the buildup to the game, Nashville announced the contract extension of US men's national team, and one-time FC Dallas center back Walker Zimmerman. The TAM deal is good through 2023, with a club option for 2024.
Zimmerman is also the answer to the trivia question of who scored Nashville's first-ever goal, knocking home a free kick in a 2-1 loss against Atlanta United before a recording-breaking crowd of 59,069 fans at Nissan Stadium. It is also the club's only goal to date with Nashville falling to the Portland Timbers 1-0 in Week 2.
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- QUESTIONABLE: Dom Badji (F) - quad injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Jimmy Medranda (D) - hip injury
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: None
- International duty: None
Series Matchup
- This is the first all-time meeting between FC Dallas and Nashville SC
Officials
- Referee: Armando Villarreal
- Assistant Referees: Adam Garner, Kevin Lock
- 4th Official: Nima Saghafi
- VAR: Daniel Radford
