A berth in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 is within arm's reach for Nashville SC, as Gary Smith's side take a 3-0 aggregate lead into Leg 2 of their Round One series against Dominican side Moca FC.
How to watch & stream
- English: FS2, Fubo
- Spanish: ViX
When
- Wednesday, February 28 | 9:15 pm ET/6:15 pm PT
Where
- GEODIS Park | Nashville, Tennessee
The stars shined bright for Nashville in Leg 1, as Designated Players Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge each found the scoresheet in the first 25 minutes before making early exits, with Mukhtar also notching the assist on Surridge's goal.
Offseason acquisition Tyler Boyd also made his mark, netting a 75th-minute goal that put the Coyotes in the driver's seat going into Leg 2, aiming to punch their ticket to what would mark an all-MLS Round of 16 showdown against star-studded Inter Miami CF.
Expanded and rebranded for 2024, the Champions Cup winner qualifies for both the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup. The tournament final is held on June 2.
The status of Mukhtar and Surridge will be front of mind for Nashville going into this matchup. Both star DPs missed Nashville's MLS regular-season opener (0-0 draw against New York Red Bulls) due to their respective knocks sustained in Leg 1.
Mukhtar's exit with a tight hamstring was deemed "precautionary" by Smith, while Surridge sustained a shoulder injury after falling awkwardly. They should still be able to defend their three-goal lead at home should the star duo be sidelined for Leg 2, but a lengthy absence for either could up the degree of difficulty of a deep CCC run.
Facing a 3-0 deficit, Moca presents an opposition with nothing to lose for Nashville as they look to mount the improbable comeback. The odds are stacked against them, but should an aggressive approach result in an early goal, they might just make things interesting.
