Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC
While the talks around Nashville SC over the past few days have centered around next week’s matchup with Inter Miami CF in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the cost to occupy one of 30,000 18″ plastic seats for 90 minutes that evening, the focus of the squad is squarely set on its matchup with the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.
Fresh off a 7-0 thrashing on aggregate of Moca FC, Nashville showed a lively spark on offense that the club will need to carry into its upcoming match, the same spark that never ignited vs. Red Bulls in the MLS opener.
Nashville enters the match as the underdog, according to DraftKings Sportsbook (+215). The Boys in Gold dropped its final four matches on the road to conclude the 2023 season (including playoffs) with its last MLS win away from Geodis Park coming on September 20, 2023 at Sporting Kansas City. In that four-match span, Nashville scored once.
Here are three things to watch for as Nashville takes on Colorado:
1) Zimmerman, Lovitz Return
While Nashville squeaked out a clean sheet vs. Red Bulls in the MLS opener thanks to wonderful play from goalkeeper Joe Willis, the backline wasn’t exactly in top form. However, Walker Zimmerman subbed on late in the match as Gary Smith switched from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-5-2, and Nashville finally began to play with the ball at its feet. The Nashville captain then started his side’s match vs. Moca FC on Wednesday.
Left-back Dan Lovitz saw his first minutes of 2024 on Wednesday as well, a welcome sight after battling an injury throughout the offseason and throughout preseason as well. Both MLS veterans logged 62 minutes in the match, signaling both can likely play deep into Saturday’s contest, if not its entire duration.
2) Unanswered Questions Up Top
While Nashville’s defense received a recent boost, its offense has yet to be so lucky. Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar, and Randall Leal remain doubtful.
However, the breakout performance of 22-year-old striker and Duke University product Forster Ajago provides something for Nashville fans to get excited about on the attacking end in the future. Ajago bagged a brace and nearly earned himself a hat trick, but the Ghanian prospect came up inches short from converting a late penalty for his third goal of the match.
Ajago’s performance only serves to tease the Nashville faithful at the moment as the international player is currently ineligible for MLS competition. Nashville SC is out of international roster spots to award Ajago, and until it acquires another international spot or Ajago receives his green card, he won’t be able to appear in MLS matches.
It begs the question once again – with Teal Bunbury struggling to find the back of the net and few other options at striker for Gary Smith, who will score for Nashville SC? Jacob Shaffelburg? Tyler Boyd? Alex Muyl? Tactical adjustments will need to be made from last weekend to put these players in a position to score as the three combined for only three total shots vs. New York.
3) How Aggressively Does Nashville Play?
Nashville pressed the issue in both legs vs. Moca FC, scoring three and four goals between both matches. Obviously, Moca FC is nowhere near the challenge an MLS opponent presents and Nashville’s strategy will be significantly different against a domestic opponent. Will it open up aggressively and look to control the ball in Colorado, or if it will be content to sit back and defend without its stars up front?
Against Red Bulls, it seemed the trademark Gary Smith philosophy of defend and survive was the first option, but that changed in the second half after Nashville surrendered 62% of the ball and allowed 12 shots in the first 45 minutes of play.
Losing your two best attacking players certainly hampers the match plan, but Nashville looked significantly better in that second half vs. Red Bulls than it did in the first – which will we get to kick off Saturday’s match in Denver?
Scouting the Rapids (0 Pnts, 14th in West)
The Rapids were one of the more intriguing clubs entering 2024. After finishing last in the Western Conference a season ago with only 27 points, the second-fewest in MLS ahead of only Toronto FC, Colorado overhauled its roster in the offseason with the additions of several recognizable names such as the USMNT-capped GK Zack Steffen and LB Sam Vines, MF Lamine Diack on loan from top-flight French side Nantes, and MF Djordje Mihailovic on a club-record deal.
That excitement was extinguished rather quickly in its opening match at Portland Timbers. The Rapids conceded twice within 15 minutes and found themselves down 4-0 at halftime. Calvin Harris got one back for Colorado in the second half, concluding things at 4-1.
MLS had the Rapids ranked 20th in its power rankings heading into the season, then dropped the club to 29th after its disastrous Week 1 performance.
Projected Starting XI
Bunbury
Shaffelburg | Boyd | Muyl
Godoy | Davis
Lovitz | Maher | Zimmerman | Moore
Willis
