Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC
Sweeping changes were needed throughout the Nashville SC locker room following last year’s disastrous unfolding. The club ended the 2024 campaign with a whimper, mustering a 2W-11L-1D record to conclude a season that landed them in 13th place in the East, six points from the cellar and 38 points from the top.
In B.J. Callaghan’s first offseason in Nashville, he revamped his coaching staff and bid adieu to several players whose skillsets favored “Gary Ball” over Callaghan’s envisioned style of play.
Callaghan has not been shy in expressing a desire to control the ball and play freely — who wouldn’t? Of course, if it was easy, every club in Major League Soccer would do so while tallying four goals every outing.
To give his squad the best chance at succeeding in his system, a flurry of roster moves was made, most of which addressed its inability to generate offense. In 2024, Nashville posted a 45.19 xG (eighth lowest in MLS) per American Soccer Analysis and mustered just 37 goals (fifth fewest).
In total, Nashville managed a meager 76 goals in 68 MLS outing over the past two seasons, a number nowhere near good enough to compete come late October.
The changes were plenty, and as a result, here are three things we are most intrigued to watch for in Nashville SC’s 2025 season opener vs. the New England Revolution.
1. The New Guys’ Immediate Impact
Nashville uprooted its central midfield, allowing Aníbal Godoy to sign with San Diego FC via free agency and sending Sean Davis to LA Galaxy in exchange for Gastón Brugman, a superior on-ball talent and deep-lying playmaker.
Brugman accumulated a 1.72 goals added (gA) total for last year’s MLS champions, noticeably excelling as a defensive interrupter and passer.
Unfortunately for Nashville, Brugman was ruled out due to injury by Callaghan on Thursday.
Filling in for the injured Brugman on Saturday will likely be Bryan Acosta, a veteran central midfielder who was no stranger to finding the back of the net earlier in his career. Acosta spent 2024 in Honduras but has five years of previous MLS experience under his belt.
Outside midfielder Edvard Tagseth was signed from Norway’s Rosenborg BK, a top-flight club that has only finished lower than fifth place once in the last 11 seasons and secured four titles in that span. Tagseth’s speed and ability to deliver accurate balls from the flank has resulted in 14 goals and 23 assists in 172 career appearances across all competitions.
Likely starting alongside Tagseth on the right side is the veteran Andy Najár, an attack-minded full-back with 27 goals and 33 assists in his 15-year career spanning MLS and top-flight clubs in Belgium and Honduras.
Winger Ahmed Qasem is only 22 years old and shows tremendous attacking prowess at such a young age. He has decent size at 6’0”, great pace and 16 goal contributions over the last two years in top-flight Sweden.
It remains to be seen how much playing time Qasem will be allotted, as he is likely Callaghan’s fourth choice at the position behind Tagseth, Alex Muyl and Jacob Shaffelburg. Once Tyler Boyd returns from injury, he probably descends to fifth.
2. How Does the Central Midfield Look?
A glaring issue for the Boys in Gold over the past two seasons has been the inability of its central midfield to connect the backline and its front four. Godoy and Davis aided Nashville’s defense relatively well but lacked the creativity to effectively advance the ball.
Patrick Yazbek offered some different looks and dished the ball around nicely in nine appearances for Nashville at the end of the season, but he was hampered by the inability of those around him to do the same.
As a result, the offense relied heavily on long balls to the wings instead of playing through Hany Mukhtar — perhaps the biggest cardinal sin Nashville’s offense can commit.
Brugman’s style of play should pair well with Yazbek’s skillset upon his return, resulting in more possession and improved build-up play. Mukhtar should not have to drop back as far to receive the ball, allowing him to remain in dangerous positions and punish defenders like he did in his 2022 MVP season.
Even with Acosta in for Brugman, look for fewer passes from the central midfielders to the backline, more urgency and more creativity from the middle of the pitch tomorrow night than we have seen from Nashville in the past.
3. Can Hany Mukhtar Return to his MVP Form?
Nashville’s offense last season was beyond predictable, and nobody suffered more from that than its best player, Hany Mukhtar. Opposing clubs routinely shaded players his way, forming a box or triangle around Mukhtar, limiting his passing options and often forcing him to retreat with the ball.
The less time Mukhtar spends with his back facing the opponent’s goal, the better.
If the central midfielders play their part effectively, it means more time for Mukhtar with the ball at his feet — the ultimate recipe for Nashville’s success in 2025.
That being said, Mukhtar himself must be more clinical as well. His goal contribution total has dwindled every year since 2022, he missed two of his five penalty attempts in 2024 and managed only eight goals despite his 12.15 xG.
Projected Starting XI
Surridge, Mukhtar
Muyl, Yazbek, Acosta, Tagseth
Lovitz, Maher, Zimmerman, Najar
Willis