Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC
For the first time this year, fans got to see Nashville SC in competitive action on Thursday night when the club took on Dominican Republic side Moca FC in the First Round of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Nashville entered the match as the clear favorites and Gary Smith’s side lived up to the billing, winning the contest comfortably by a 3-0 margin.
With so many new faces in the squad, fans were excited to see what this younger, pacier squad would look like outside of preseason play, and here are four takeaways from the long-anticipated 2024 club debut.
1) Chemistry Up Top
There wasn’t much time for Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar to get on the same page a year ago with the former being acquired by Nashville SC in July 2023. This past offseason allotted time for the two to develop some attacking chemistry, something the club had been missing since it dealt C.J. Sapong to Toronto FC last April.
Although Mukhtar was subbed off before halftime, the spacing and anticipation between him and Surridge were noticeably improved from last season. The two combined twice for two goals in just 25 minutes, both emerging from perfectly-timed runs by their teammate. The spacing between Mukhtar and Surridge remained consistent throughout their shared time on the pitch as well, splitting drop-back duties off the ball and drifting into dangerous areas.
After Nashville managed to score in just one of its final seven matches a season ago, clear interplay improvement was shown between Nashville’s key men up top on Thursday night.
2) Boyd, Yearwood Sparkle on Wings
Nashville’s two new wingers brought in during the offseason were both brilliant. The argument can be made that Boyd was the best player on the pitch. Not only did he bag his first Nashville goal, but Boyd threatened the opposing goal relentlessly. He created four scoring chances, logged 10 touches inside Moca FC’s box, and concluded the evening having completed 88% of his passes.
Opposite of Boyd was Dru Yearwood who combined expertly with full-back Shaq Moore from the start of the match. Yearwood found his forward counterparts consistently throughout the match, created one scoring chance, and his ability to get back on defense to support Moore was key. Yearwood made six recoveries and won four of his five tackles.
3) Speed And Aggression
In the past, Gary Smith has been happy to sit back and play for nil-nil. That did not appear to be the case on Thursday.
Smith’s squad played quickly from the first minute and never looked content to sit back. Again, the quality of the opposition and the nature of the competition likely played a factor, but Nashville kept its line high and tackled aggressively. Full-backs Shaq Moore and Taylor Washington engaged in more challenges than they backed out from, and Nashville’s counterplay looked as good as it ever has.
4) Early Injuries Threathen MLS Opener
Time for the bad news. Despite how well Mukhtar and Surridge played on Thursday night, both men left the match with apparent injuries.
Mukhtar was the first to exit after going down off the ball in the 35′ minute. Luckily, the former MVP walked off without assistance, made his way to the bench, and was replaced by Jacob Shaffelburg. Surridge, on the other hand, was taken to the locker room after suffering an apparent shoulder injury in the 53′ minute, as reported by Valair Shabilla.
Nashville SC is already thin at the forward position, causing concern with only three days until the club kicks off the MLS regular season vs. New York Red Bulls.
Goals
12′ Hany Mukhtar (assist: Sam Surridge)
25′ Sam Surridge (assist: Hany Mukhtar)
76′ Tyler Boyd
Lineup
Surridge
Boyd | Mukhtar | Yearwood
Davis | Godoy
Washington | Maher | MacNaughton | Moore
Willis
