Nashville SC Faces Aston Villa in Historic Friendly Match

Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville SC will play its first-ever match against a Premier League team, Aston Villa FC, on Saturday, August 2, at 4 p.m. CT at GEODIS Park. This friendly offers a unique chance for Nashville SC to compete against one of Europe’s elite clubs during their break from Major League Soccer (MLS) action.

Aston Villa, led by Head Coach Unai Emery, has quickly become a competitive force in European football. The club secured sixth place in the Premier League last season, reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, and advanced to the semifinal of the FA Cup.

Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge is a player to watch, as he is currently tied with Lionel Messi for the MLS Golden Boot with 18 goals this season. Since joining Nashville from Nottingham Forest earlier this year, Surridge has set multiple records, including being the first English-born player in MLS history to score 10 goals over a six-match span.

Defender Andy Najar also offers a link between the two clubs, as he has played alongside Aston Villa midfielders Leander Dendoncker and Youri Tielemans at RSC Anderlecht in Belgium. Najar made headlines when he scored against Arsenal in the 2014 UEFA Champions League.

Following the friendly, Nashville SC will return to MLS action with back-to-back road matches beginning with St. Louis CITY SC on August 9. The team will continue its journey with a match against New York City FC and will return home to face Orlando City SC on August 23 and Atlanta United on August 30. Tickets for the upcoming home matches are available for fans.