The grueling eight-game season-opening road trip is finally over for Nashville SC. Now it’s time to go home.
The Coyotes closed the stretch with a 1-0 loss at the hands of the LA Galaxy on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park, ending the run with a respectable 3W-3L-2D record.
“It’s a tough way to end the stretch but I think we’ll have some time to reflect on this game and later in the week we can reflect on the trip as a whole and would be really proud of what we accomplished in some tough places to play,” said midfielder Sean Davis postgame. “I’m really proud of the group, really proud to be here and be part of it.”
Head coach Gary Smith noted that player fatigue after such a long stretch on the road played a significant role in the result against the Galaxy, particularly in the second half.
“I think it’s a couple of things. One is the fatigue and the grind of being away in enemy territory, as it were, for so long,” he said. “But that comes on the back of, really, what I can only describe as we need to get after these a bit more. Their backline played a very high line. I don’t think we were able to navigate or break that high line on any real substantial occasions, whether that was timing the runs, really good midfield pressure from them to prevent a good entry pass.”
“[It was] always going to be one of the tougher games out of this long eight-game stretch,” he added.
While a defeat in California wasn’t the best way to end the trip, it will be quick and easy to move on knowing that GEODIS Park, Nashville’s new 30,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, will be packed with their own fans for the much-anticipated debut on May 1 against the Philadelphia Union (4 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes).
“I’ve heard so many great things about the fans in Nashville, about the environment,” said Davis, who joined the Coyotes this year after seven seasons with the New York Red Bulls. “I remember playing against Nashville last year and being in awe of the atmosphere, so I can’t wait to experience that.”
Nashville will look to build upon their solid start, now at home, where they have been notoriously successful since joining the league in 2020. The Boys in Gold hold the longest active home unbeaten streak in MLS with 19 consecutive games. Their aim will be on that dominance to continue, now at the largest soccer-specific stadium in the country.
