Category: Soccer

Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC

NASHVILLE – The Boys in Gold returned to its fortress named Geodis Park on Wednesday afternoon for its first home preseason action of the recently-flipped calendar. Nashville played host to USL Championship-side Birmingham Legion FC, squeaking out a 3-2 victory on the back of striker Sam Surridge.

A strong Starting XI greeted the season ticket members in attendance, a group that could very well be Gary Smith’s opening day lineup, minus a couple of obvious names across the backline – Walker Zimmerman and Dan Lovitz were notably absent.

Surridge
Shaffelburg | Mukhtar | Boyd
Godoy | Davis
Washington | MacNaughton | Maher | Moore
Willis

The start marked the first for Mukhtar of the preseason as Zimmerman and Lovitz remain the final two Nashville men of note who have yet to take part in the preseason campaign. The former MVP logged about an hour’s worth of minutes in the contest before being replaced by Dru Yearwood.

At long last, fans breathed a sigh of relief as Nashville’s 6’3″ forward found the scoresheet not only once, but once per half as Sam Surridge bagged one with his head and another with his boot. The first saw service from LB Taylor Washington that, after being reviewed to determine whether the headed attempt breached the line, resulted in the match opener.

Nashville would then concede two goals to go down 1-2 to Birmingham, and fans of Nashville SC dating back to the USL-C days will certainly remember the name of one of the Legion’s goalscorers – Tyler Pasher. The former Indy Eleven man accounted for the lone goal in the 2019 USL Championship Quarter-Final match that closed the curtain on Nashville’s final season in the second-division league before its MLS encore commenced.

Surridge responded with an equalizer to dissolve Birmingham’s brief advantage, an effort that deflected off the opposition and into the net.

A late goal from trialist Julian Gaines secured Nashville’s 3-2 win as the younger brother of another Nashville preseason scorer, McKenzie Gaines, continues to push for a regular season roster spot among several other trialists.

The club’s final preseason match will also take place at Geodis Park on February 15 when Nashville hosts formal USL Championship rivals Memphis 901 FC.

Then, the regular season begins.

Player	Goals	Assists
Jacob Shaffelburg	2	–
Sam Surridge	2	–
Tyler Boyd	1	1
McKenzie Gaines	1	1
Forster Ajago	1	–
Julian Gaines	1	–
Hany Mukhtar	–	1
Taylor Washington	–	1

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – At long last, Hany Mukhtar made his preseason debut for the Boys in Gold on Friday vs. Toronto FC. Unfortunately, Nashville came up short in the affair by way of a 2-1 defeat to conclude its stint in the Sunshine State with a trip back to Geodis Park awaiting.

The match was a 120-minute affair split into four quarters rather than halves, and Gary Smith’s Starting XI featured only one change from Nashville’s previous outing – Sean Davis back in for Brian Anunga.

Surridge
Shaffelburg | Boyd | Gaines
Davis | Yearwood
Washington | MacNaughton | Maher | Moore
Willis

Toronto’s Italian duo of Lorenzo Insigne and Bernardeschi opened the scoring, each accounting for a goal apiece, before the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player entered the match for his first preseason appearance of the new campaign.

Mukhtar subbed on at halftime and the playmaker instantly altered the trajectory of the match, supplying the assist to incoming rookie Forster Ajago before the end of the third quarter.

Following the defeat, Nashville SC returns home to Geodis Park for its penultimate preseason match where the club will host USL Championship-side Birmingham Legion FC. Nashville enters the match with a picket-fence record through three Spring matches, 1W-1L-1D.

Player	Goals	Assists
Jacob Shaffelburg	2	–
Tyler Boyd	1	1
McKenzie Gaines	1	1
Forster Ajago	1	–
Hany Mukhtar	–	1

Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After opening its 2024 preseason campaign with a draw vs. St. Louis just days ago, Nashville SC earned its first win of the year vs. Sporting Kansas City by way of a 2-1 victory on Tuesday.

For the second consecutive match, several of Gary Smith’s MLS stars including Hany Mukhtar, Walker Zimmerman, and Dan Lovitz did not receive minutes.

Below is the Starting XI from the match, a group consisting of three changes from the preseason opener.

Surridge
Shaffelburg | Boyd | Gaines
Yearwood | Anunga
Washington | Maher | MacNaughton | Moore
Willis

Tuesday’s lineup differences included McKenzie Gaines, an offseason acquisition that accounted for Nashville’s second goal in the previous content, replacing Randal Leal, Dru Yearwood in Sean Davis’ stead, and Shaq Moore receiving his first preseason action in place of Alex Muyl.

At halftime, Gary Smith subbed Sean Davis on for Yearwood and made another wholesale swap later in the half, one that provided Aníbal Godoy with his first preseason minutes in 2024.

Once again, Shaffelburg opened the scoring in the first half, just as the 24-year-old did in his last outing. McKenzie Gaines was credited with the assist on the play, his second goal contribution of the preseason after scoring in his first match to boot.

Tyler Boyd accounted for what would prove to be the match-winner in the second half, his second goal contribution as well.

Although Nashville’s target forward Sam Surridge has not scored through two matches, Gary Smith’s attacking trio of Shaffelburg, Boyd, and Gaines who sit just below the Englishman appear to be firing on all cylinders through limited action, accounting for all four of Nashville’s preseason goals to date and supplying the final pass on two of them.

Nashville’s final preseason match away from home will be played on Friday vs. Toronto FC.

Player	Goals	Assists
Jacob Shaffelburg	2	–
Tyler Boyd	1	1
McKenzie Gaines	1	1

Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC

Shaffelburg, Gaines Find Net for Boys in Gold

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Nashville SC commenced its 2024 preseason campaign on Friday in Florida, offering fans their first glimpse into 5th-year head coach Gary Smith’s new squad. The match concluded 2-2 as the Boys in Gold finished level with St. Louis City SC, courtesy of goals from Jacob Shaffelburg and McKenzie Gaines.

Although the match was played behind closed doors, Smith presumably deployed his standard 4-2-3-1 formation, but we do know for certain the Starting XI that comprised the club’s first lineup of the new year:

Surridge
Shaffelburg | Leal | Boyd
Davis | Anunga
Washington | Maher | McNaughton | Muyl
Willis

Winger Tyler Boyd was the only new addition to Nashville’s 2024 roster that received a starting nod following his transfer from LA Galaxy in the offseason. Dru Yearwood, another one of NSC’s offseason acquisitions, replaced midfielder Sean Davis midway through the half.

As is customary for preseason soccer, the start of the second half saw all 11 players replaced in favor of Elliot Pannico in goal, Josh Bauer, Joey Skinner, Adem Sipić, Teal Bunbury, McKenzie Gaines, and a handful of trialists looking to earn a spot on the club’s regular-season roster.

Hany Mukhtar, Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore, Dan Lovitz, and Aníbal Godoy did not appear in the match.

Ok, so how about goals?

Shaffelburg opened the scoring in the first half off a dish from Boyd, a play that Nashville SC fans couldn’t be happier to see. Both Shaffelburg and Boyd will likely see heavy usage in 2024 following the offseason departures of forwards Fafà Picault and Luke Haakenson, therefore the two combining for the club’s first preseason goal of the campaign could foreshadow good things to come for Nashville’s attack.

Second-half substitute McKenzie Gaines increased his side’s advantage to 2-0 in his first Nashville friendly. The second-year MLS man was acquired from Charlotte FC in exchange for Nashville’s second-round 2024 MLS SuperDraft selection.

The club conceded two goals late to St. Louis to end things at two apiece.

Nashville’s next preseason match will take place on January 30 vs. Sporting Kansas City.

Photo: Courtesy of Nashville SC