FC Dallas vs. Nashville SC | 2020 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 4
FC Dallas vs. Nashville SC
Toyota Stadium – Frisco
August 16 – 8:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada

The longer than expected wait for a first-ever win is over for Nashville SC, but can MLS win No. 2 come four days after the first? Or will FC Dallas bounce back Sunday night from that 1-0 defeat Wednesday in the second of back-to-back matches at Toyota Stadium?.

In both teams' first competitive match in five months, David Accam provided the late drama, coming off the bench to score the deflected winner in the 86th minute. The second goal in club history also proved to be the first match-winner. FC Dallas pressed frantically for a late equalizer, but Nashville, with the help of an incredible block from Walker Zimmerman, managed to ward off the pressure and see out the 1-0 victory, giving them their first three points as an MLS club.

FC Dallas

Franco Jara made his debut for FC Dallas Wednesday, registering three shots in 59 minutes before being replaced by Ricardo Pepi as part of a double substitution that also saw Paxton Pomykal come on for Jesus Ferreira. Coach Luchi Gonzalez also displayed a new-look formation, going with a 3-5-2 instead of a usual 4-3-3, bringing in Brazilian center back Bressan as part of a three-back setup and utilizing Ryan Hollingshead and Reggie Cannon as wing backs.

Hours before kickoff, Colombian club Deportivo Independiente Medellín announced the transfer of midfielder Andres Ricaurte to FC Dallas. The 28-year-old scored five goals in 46 appearances for Independiente Medellín and, to this point, played his entire career in his native Colombia. The MLS Secondary Transfer Window opened on Wednesday.

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Brandon Servania (M) - adductor strain
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None

Nashville SC

It wont go down as a soccer masterpiece, but no one associated with Nashville SC will care. After back-to-back defeats to open their expansion season all the way back in March, a four-month pause in the season due to a global pandemic and withdrawing from the MLS is Back Tournament following several positive COVID-19 tests, this first win is certainly sweet.

"It is one game, but please forgive us for maybe enjoying it more than we would normally: It's our first win, away from home, we've had the disappointment with what went on [with the tournament], a lot of the players being in isolation forever," said assistant coach Steve Guppy, filling in for manager Gary Smith, who didn't travel after an inconclusive COVID-19 test (which was later confirmed to be negative). "But [the players] stuck with it, Gary's done a marvelous job in keeping it together. If anything I feel like it's brought us all a little bit closer, as well. So, when you put all these things and look at it all together and look at tonight, away from home, in the heat, having to fly in on the day, all these things players are not used to — first game in five months — to hang in there and to get a win in the manner that we did, hats off to the players.".

Nashville GM Mike Jacobs promised reinforcements were on the way in short order now that the transfer window is open. The first move was acquiring Homegrown midfielder Alex Muyl from the New York Red Bulls for Nashville’s 2020 and 2021 international picks and an additional $50,000 in GAM in 2021, if Muyl meets certain performance-based metrics.

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Eric Miller (D) - adductor injury
- OUT: Jimmy Medranda (D) - hip injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None