2024 Nashville Sc

Open with a 3 -0 drubbing of Moca in the DR. After going up 2 to 0 on goals by Mukhtar and Big Sam, we took it down a notch for game management.

hard to read too much into the game. Very worried that Mukhtar came off in first half with tightness. Hopefully precautionary. Surridge also left early holding a shoulder which would be awful. We rotated to be ready for Sunday’s opener. Moca was just not good……

 

MLS Match 1 v NYRB. 0-0 draw. No Mukhtar, Lovitz or Surridge. WZ in limited minutes. Awful first half. Home opener and we had 0 shots on goal. Nothing going forward.
We made some adjustments at half. Dropped Boyd into midfield. This gave us more of the ball and we weren’t overrun as much. Then we switched to a back 3 and slid Moore and Washington up the field. We actually had shots on goal!

In the end, NYRB were much stronger on the day and the goal frame was our MVP.
Boyd looked an excellent addition and his game may complement Hany and Surridge.

The downside is that our midfield was poor. I know we are a counterattacking team but we should be able to possess some when needed. At times we are just painful when we try to build.

Also, Bunbury tried. We should not have to rely on a 34 year old journeyman forward. He can give some decent minutes, particularly in hold up play. But seriously, we should have a better option. He had 3 goals in over 1600 minutes last year.

 

MLS Match 2 - 1-1 at Colorado. No Mukhtar or Surridge at altitude. We sat back and defended pretty much all match. Given the circumstances this was understandable.

our xg was 2.2 but that is misleading. We had one good chance in the first half. Bunbury hit it well from close range but keeper came up big. He did a bit better in hold up play but the team was offensively lacking. Shaq gave up an OG so we had to come out of our shell.

Our PK was comical. Rapids player clearly handles a ball with nobody anywhere near him. It was a stroke of luck rather than a well deserved penalty. Nice finish on the PK

I continue to be concerned that we don’t go forward well. Our MF seem to rarely do so on the half turn. Regardless, I will take an away point down crucial players. Defense was solid

 

MLS Matchday 3 - draw at 2s with Galaxy at Geodis. We rested almost all of our starters for match Wednesday at Miami. The Kids Were All right! Outplayed and out possessed, particularly by Riqui Puig, they still gamely hung in.

Great combo play for Yearwood goal. Bunbury hit PK. Pannico with a PK save. Anunga with some bite. But it all fell apart at the end with LA coming back from two down.

 

MLS Matchday 4 - 2-1 win at home v Charlotte. Given fixture congestion, I was worried about this one even though Charlotte looks weak.

we attacked almost exclusively down the flanks with Mukhtar in a more withdrawn striker role. I thought Yearwood and Anunga were good in central midfield. They progressed the ball a bit rather than backwards which was becoming too familiar.

Defense was solid mostly and both Moore and Washington served up tasty crosses. Great header from Surridge. Muyl goal was nice as well. He is relentless and missed a couple of other chances. Nice home win.

 

Not on what I see. There are the two Club’s crests and that is it

 

I have to admit, the LAFC pre-match song of the Ecstasy of Gold from The Good The Bad and The Ugly is friggin awesome. Not very danceable but you must walk out of the tunnel like a boss.

 

MLS Matchday 5 - as Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. I have no idea what our game plan or tactics were because we were outclassed from moment one and got humiliated 5 to 0 by LAFC. No Zimmerman or Leal or Shaf. but there still exists a large talent gap. We have very poor depth and no youth.

our midfield reverted to form and just can’t control tempo. We turn it over too often to be an effective counterattack team. Mukhtar is trying to do too much because we just don’t have weapons. It was super ugly. No real positives. Ugggg

 

Matchday 6 - home versus the Crew. 2 to 2 draw. Our injury list grew. We were missing Big Z, Boyd, Leal, McNaughten, and Moore plus others. Our lineup was therefore not our best. That said, we hung in there for a draw.
We just don’t have the midfield to control tempo. We can counter but missing Moore and Boyd hurt that ability. Golazzo from Godoy and nice finish from Mukhtar but we gave it away at the end. Honestly, I was elated with the second half lead and a chance for points but the Columbus goal shattered my vibe.