On Sunday, Geodis Park made its debut on the international stage. The stadium — and Nashville itself — made quite an impression.
The United States Women's National Team shut out Japan 1-0 on the second match day of the SheBelieves Cup in front of 25,471 impassioned fans.
"It was unbelievable," USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski said. "It was loud. I mean, the support was so obvious and it was just nice to be on the field. I want to thank the fans that showed up, thanks to the city and everyone that made this possible. It was a very good experience.
But Andonovski's praise didn't stop there. The two-time National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Coach of the Year said that Nashville should be home to the league's next franchise, an idea that has been discussed for several years.
"And obviously, I think that it would be nice to see an NWSL team here," Andonovski said. "There [is] a good stadium, a good environment and it's very obvious that Nashville supports soccer."
The contest offered a continuation of a hot streak for Mallory Swanson, who has scored six goals in four games so far in 2023. She has also scored in five consecutive matches, the first USWNT player to do so since Christen Press from November 2019 to February 2020. Her seven career SheBelieves Cup goals ties teammate Megan Rapinoe for the most in the history of the tournament, which debuted in 2016.
Swanson, formerly known as Mallory Pugh, married former Vanderbilt baseball star Dansby Swanson in December. The Chicago Red Stars forward said she had family and friends in the Geodis stands.
Rapinoe, who came into the match in the 69th minute for Swanson, was impressed with the atmosphere in the stadium.
"This atmosphere was the best we've had in a long time. The fans were amazing here. And that's great for us. That hypes us up and keeps everyone engaged. Nashville's always a great place to [visit]."
The matchup marked the USWNT's fifth outing in Nashville, the previous four of which took place at Nissan Stadium, with the most recent coming during the 2019 SheBelieves Cup. The last national team visit to Nashville overall was when the men's team drew 1-1 with Canada during World Cup qualifying in September 2021.
In the evening's second match, Canada beat Brazil 2-0, giving the United States a sizable lead in winning this year's iteration thanks in part to its 2-0 win over Canada on the first match day.
It would be the club's fourth consecutive tournament win, with this one coming against perhaps the toughest competition yet. All four teams are ranked in the top 11 in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings: USA is first; Canada, sixth; Brazil, ninth; and Japan, 11th.
The Cup marks one of the final opportunities for USWNT players to earn their way onto the roster for the 2023 World Cup, which is being held in Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
The SheBelieves Cup will conclude on Feb. 22 in Dallas where the U.S. will play Brazil and Canada will face Japan.