First USL Championship broadcast on ESPN2 will feature two of the league's stingiest defenses

Nashville SC won’t simply be playing before friendly faces at First Tennessee Park on Wednesday.

A national television audience also will get to see the first in a run of four straight home matches. The matchup with the Tampa Bay Rowdies will air live on ESPN (7 p.m.) and will be the first USL Championship contest ever broadcast live by the network.

What viewers – in person or via television – might not see are many goals. Tampa Bay is tied for the league lead with five shutouts (in nine games) while Nashville is tied for second with four (eight games).

“I think we have a good defensive side,” Nashville midfielder Matt LaGrassa said. “When we are a disciplined group, we are able to keep the ball out of the net. … Obviously, [we have] a lot to be proud of, but still some things to work on.”

Nashville (4-2-2) played five of its previous six on the road and comes in off a 2-0 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday. It is 2-1 at First Tennessee Park but has yet to win more than two in a row overall this season.

Tampa Bay (4-0-5) is in third place and the only Eastern Conference team (one of two among the league’s 36 franchises) without a loss. It is also one of two clubs with a goal differential of 10 or more.

After Wednesday, Nashville hosts the Swope Park Rangers on Saturday then plays its 2019 U.S. Open Cup opener on Tuesday (that contest will be at Murfreesboro) and concludes the homestand May 18 against Charlotte.

“We’ve got a week and half with three games,” midfielder Michael Reed said. “This next stretch is going to be very difficult, and it will be nice to be at home. We’ve got to rally the troops and stay focused. We’ve got to stay disciplined, because that is what good teams do, and stick with it.”



