NYCFC vs Nashville SC preview: Despair is in the air before the break

The season is flying by as New York City FC will play in their final game before the World Cup break. The Pigeons and the rest of Major League Soccer will not resume play until July 16 at the earliest, with most sides like the Boys in Blue resuming on July 22. So, there will be training, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that there might be friendlies played. Still, the match against Nashville SC is the last one at this time.

But despair is in the air for NYCFC. They recently lost Maxi Moralez to an ACL tear, and eight players total will be out for the upcoming fixture. Truthfully, the break is coming at the perfect time. Hopefully, these two months will see the injury list shrink, and when the team returns, it will be the secondary transfer window. The Pigeons are not out of the 2026 campaign, but health and transfers could turn them into a contender.

Alas, with the weekend matchup with Nashville, the best team in MLS, sorrow and darkness will likely remain for now. The Queens team did earn four points from the Music City side in 2025, including the big comeback win in their last meeting. Nonetheless, they were not the top team that they are today.

Nobody ever knows what will happen in a match, but right now, it is easy to believe that this will be another poor performance. Therefore, here is a preview of the upcoming game between NYCFC and Nashville.

NYCFC vs Nashville SC preview

Date

NYCFC and Nashville SC will play on Saturday, May 23.

Time

The game will begin at 8:30 PM.

Location

The match will be at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

How to watch

As always, it is on Apple TV.

Weather

The Queens team will have much better weather compared to the New York tri-state area, where it will be very rainy. While there will be rain earlier in the day in Nashville, the match itself will be mostly cloudy and 77 degrees. The high humidity will make it uncomfortable. The wind will be mostly calm, going no higher than 4 mph.

Injury report

As mentioned, NYCFC will be without eight players. Drew Baiera (leg), Talles Magno (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), Maxi Moralez (leg), Max Murray (leg), Aiden O’Neill (leg), Kevin O’Toole (leg), and Keaton Parks (leg) are all out.

Players to watch

NYCFC fans should watch Tayvon Gray. The right-back has not had his best year thus far, but he has still been an important part of the backline. He needs to ensure that he keeps it quiet on the right side, though, for Nico Cavallo sometimes is a liability on the left. At the very least, Nashville will not be threatening on both sides of the pitch.

Fans should also watch Hany Mukhtar, who continues to be one of the top midfielders in MLS. The German has six goals and two assists this season, and recently scored a hat-trick in the last game that he played. But his ability on the ball will make him a threat, and he is someone who could cause the weekend to be much worse than expected for the Boys in Blue.

Prediction

Sorry, but it would be crazily shocking if the Pigeons left with any points. That is why the prediction is a 3-1 win for Nashville, with NYCFC playing awfully on the road. The game will be difficult to watch, but hopefully, this will be the last time that the Queens side is full of despair and devastation. By July, it is vital to believe that a few of the injured will be back, and a few new players will be here, too.

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