With NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies a three-hour drive away, the sporting culture in Nashville has tended to revolve around American football and ice hockey.
The city is home to NFL team Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators of the NHL, who Surridge enjoys watching.
“It is pretty intense,” he explains, having been to several games. “The way they play, they’re a different kind of humans – these big guys that will smash each other.”
But buoyed by their US Open Cup success, Surridge says Nashville is also becoming a “soccer city”.
The football club – whose vice chairman Ian Ayre was previously at Liverpool – was only founded nine years ago, joining MLS in 2020. Their purpose-built Geodis Park holds just over 30,000 fans – Miami’s visit will be one of the season’s most sought-after tickets.
“A lot of people like their sports in general,” says Surridge. “They will go watch the NFL, NHL and soccer. They love it here. I have seen it grow and the Lionel Messi-effect definitely helps.
“It is a lot more of an occasion in America. They want to be entertained, which is great because at the end of the day that’s what we do.
“We are fortunate to get a lot of fans at our stadium, but a lot of clubs change stadiums when Inter Miami come. It is a massive occasion for the football club.”
Surridge expects next summer’s World Cup in North America will boost football’s profile in the USA further, but he is concerned about the heat – Nashville often train at 8am before it gets too hot.
“It’s going to be really difficult for players to adjust to the heat,” he adds. “You saw it in the Club World Cup, where teams couldn’t even train because it was so hot and it is not easy.
“I cannot imagine what playing at 3pm in the middle of the day will be like. You get your water breaks, but that just doesn’t help at all.
“It is going to be a lot slower. You don’t want to lose the ball and be running around for half an hour trying to get it back in the heat.”
