For Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini, summers during their famed European careers were earmarked for vacation and preseason preparation.
This year, after both players agreed to significant pay cuts to sign with the Los Angeles Football Club, they chose game time over downtime in Major League Soccer.
Bale and Chiellini will be available for selection when LAFC visits Nashville for the first time on Sunday. After making the traveling roster to Tennessee, the Italian center back and the Welsh attacker, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Saturday, rank among the options head coach Steve Cherundolo has at his disposal for the important conference showdown at GEODIS Park.
“Adding new players, especially in the summer transfer window, is tricky, because these players are coming off of an offseason, so they’re doing their preseason during our season,” said Cherundolo, whose team is neck and neck with Austin FC in the Supporters’ Shield and Western Conference race. “I think it’s important to understand that when integrating new players in this phase of the season. So, they are being integrated as fast as possible, but I think it’s also smart to give them time.”
In the wake of last week’s 3-2 triumph over the L.A. Galaxy, which Chiellini watched from the sidelines and Bale saw from the stands, injured forward Danny Musovski and defender Diego Palacios (suspended for yellow card accumulation) did not make the trip to Music City.
On Tuesday, Palacios joined midfielder Ilie Sanchez and forward Carlos Vela as starters for the MLS in its match against Liga MX on Aug. 10 at Minnesota’s Allianz Field.
Between now and then, three of LAFC’s four league contests happen on the road, a trend that extends to nine of the club’s final 15 matches. LAFC is 4-3-1 this year away from L.A., securing one win in its last four trips and no points against western teams.
Two thousand miles from Banc of California Stadium, GEODIS Park officially became North America’s largest soccer-specific venue when it opened on May 1 in front of a sell-out crowd of 31,109. Nashville is 3-1-4 there heading into the first of two regular season meetings with LAFC (the second is set for Decision Day in L.A.).
Former LAFC center back Walker Zimmerman anchors Nashville’s physical style, which has been difficult for opponents to break down when it settles into a low block. And their counter attack relies on German forward Hany Makhtar, who is responsible for half of Nashville’s 104 goals since it entered MLS in 2020.
Leading MLS in shots, shots on target and goal contributions, Makhtar’s 11th goal in league play this season held up during a 1-0 victory at home on Wednesday over Seattle to snap Nashville’s four-match winless streak.
Following a stretch of eight consecutive away matches to begin the season, Nashville (8-6-6) sits third in the west, nine points behind LAFC (12-4-3), which has played one less game than the hosts.
The tone and tenor of Sunday’s action should determine whether Bale and Chiellini debut in Black & Gold during the club’s farthest conference trip of the year.
“Anybody who travels is ready to get minutes,” Cherundolo said. “So, how probable is it? We’ll have to see. The game will dictate that, as well as the coaches. But both are in a good spot to contribute to the group.”
LAFC AT NASHVILLE
When: Sunday, 5:30 p.m. PT
Where: GEODIS Park, Nashville, Tenn.
TV/Radio: KCOP (Ch. 13), Estrella TV 62.2 (Spanish)/710 AM, 980 AM, ESPN App