NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Soccer Club announced on Thursday it had acquired 2018 USL Championship Defender of the Year Forrest Lasso on loan from FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer for the remainder of the 2019 season, pending league approval.

Lasso has spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with FC Cincinnati, making the jump from the Championship to MLS with the club. In 2018, he started 29 matches and was the rock of the defense behind Cincinnati's regular season league championship en route to being named the Championship’s Defender of the Year and earning his second selection to the Championship’s All-League First Team. At the MLS level this season, Lasso has made five appearances, including four starts. His first MLS start came in a 2-0 FCC win against the New England Revolution.

“I think he’s as good, if not the best center back that I saw last year in this league,” Nashville Head Coach Gary Smith said. “Very dominant as an individual. He brings tremendous presence to any group, and I thought he led that back line for Cincinnati extremely well last year. My hope is that he can offer us the same sort of guidance and physical stature. I think he’s been very unfortunate not to get more opportunities in that Cincinnati side. But, given the circumstances there, it’s opened the door for us.”