Update: After the teams tied 1-1, the game went to a penalty shootout, and FC Cincinnati prevailed 6-5. It is Cincinnati's first-ever USL playoff win.
Check out more on the game on USLsoccer.com.
Two cities that will be playing in MLS in the near future, Cincinnati and Nashville, will square off on Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs.
FC Cincinnati, fresh off a regular-season title in USL and on a blistering 23-game unbeaten streak, will host Nashville SC at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday at 4 pm ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Cincinnati, gearing up for their inaugural season in MLS in 2019, are trying to end their tenure in USL on the ultimate high, with a USL Cup triumph to go with the regular-season title. Losing just three games all season, they are heavy favorites to advance and go all the way.
But don't count out Nashville. In their first season in USL, they have qualified for the postseason, behind a stellar defensive record and they are hoping to follow in the footsteps of the 2014 Sacramento Republic team that won the USL title in their expansion season. And they won't get too many opportunities to lift silverware at the USL level, as they will also be moving to MLS in the coming years.
