Photo: Courtesy of Major League Soccer
Nashville SC fans were treated to an impressive 3-0 win by their club over Moca FC earlier in the week in CONCACAF Champions Cup play, offering a glimpse into what the squad has to offer this season. Nashville looked aggressive, advanced the ball with ease, and played on the front foot throughout the full 90 minutes.
Considering Gary Smith’s tendency to play defensively and go long stretches without the ball, it was certainly a welcome sight. At times, goals have seemed to come at a premium for Nashville SC over the past four years, but Thursday’s performance seemed to signal a shift in tactical philosophy by the gaffer in his seventh season at the helm.
But that excitement and new-look attack came at a price.
Both Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge exited the match due to injuries, severely hampering the club’s potential offensive output. While Mukhtar appeared to be removed as a precautionary measure, Surridge was immediately taken to the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury. Surridge will likely be ruled out for Nashville’s opener at Geodis Park after scoring once for Nashville and assisting another goal at Moca FC.
Will the exciting and threatening attack that was on display last time out reappear in Nashville’s MLS debut, or will we have a match that feels lethargic between two perennial defensive powerhouses?
Recap Nashville’s 3-0 win over Moca FC here.
What to Watch For
1) Where will Nashville’s Offense Come From?
Should Surridge miss Sunday’s MLS opener, Nashville will need to quickly come up with an answer to this question. The forward group is thin, and we’ve seen that despite being one of the most talented players in the league, Mukhtar can’t shoulder the scoring burden alone.
Tyler Boyd was Nashville’s best player on Thursday night, and he will need to replicate that performance vs. New York. A solid shift from either Dru Yearwood or Jacob Shaffelburg opposite of Boyd will need to support the central-running Mukhtar to get on the board. A goal from Teal Bunbury wouldn’t hurt either, should he be Surridge’s replacement.
2) How will the Central Midfielders Link Up Play?
It’s no secret that one of the main reasons why Nashville SC struggled to play with the ball a season ago was its poor central midfield play. For as glimmering as Dax McCarty’s MLS career has been and may continue to be, he and Aníbal Godoy regularly failed to control the tempo of play and find the proper pass to advance the ball in 2023. While solid defensively, there was simply no creativity moving forward from that position.
McCarty joined Atlanta United in the offseason, leaving Godoy to likely pair with Sean Davis in the middle. The two will need to be at the top of their game to break down a stingy Red Bulls defense and control the rhythm of the match.
3) Will Zimmerman and Lovitz Go 90 Minutes?
Walker Zimmerman and Dan Lovitz both battled injuries throughout the offseason and through Nashville’s preseason, each playing only 15 minutes in the club’s final preseason match and zero minutes up until then. Both are questionable for Sunday, but should they appear in Smith’s Starting XI, do they have 90 minutes to give, or will we see more Taylor Washington at the left-back position and either Sean Davis or Lukas MacNaughton at center-back?
Scouting Red Bulls
There are plenty of question marks surrounding Red Bulls entering 2024. Sandro Schwartz was appointed manager of the club in the offseason after coaching for over a decade in Germany and Russia. Key departures for New York in the offseason included striker Tom Barlow and Omir Fernández, but the addition of attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg from RB Leipzig could prove to be one of the biggest MLS additions of the offseason.
Forsberg, a Swedish international, tallied 71 goals and 65 assists for the top-flight German side in 325 appearances across all competitions. New York is hoping that his addition alongside forward Dante Venzeir, who struggled mightily in his first season with Red Bulls in 2023, can establish some kind of attacking presence for a side that managed only 36 goals last season, the fourth-fewest in MLS.
A typical Red Bulls style of play closely resembles that of Nashville SC – very slow, featuring great defense in favor of a potent offense. Last season, New York conceded 39 times, the fifth-fewest in the league compared to Nashville’s MLS-leading 32 goals allowed.
Projected Starting XI
Bunbury
Boyd | Mukhtar | Shaffelburg
Davis | Godoy
Lovitz | MacNaughton | Zimmerman | Moore
Willis
With Surridge’s absence, Bunbury will likely serve as Nashville’s No. 9 up top. Expect him to frequently act as a Fale 9 with Mukhtar streaking forward with better pace than the the 33-year-old.
The winger position opposite of Boyd is a toss-up between Shaffelburg and Yearwood, as is the other center-back position alongside Walker Zimmerman. Shaffelburg’s finishing will be needed to compensate for the aging Bunbury up top, while Yearwood’s speed and defensive acumen likely pair better with the more explosive Surridge manning the striker position.
While either Davis or MacNaughton could get the start at center-back, we project MacNaughton here based on preseason minutes played.
