Nashville Soccer Club (NSC) has just begun its fourth season in Major League Soccer (MLS). Fans have been left wanting more from the club after an impressive run in the Leagues Cup last year that ultimately ended with a loss to Inter Miami in the finals.
The Leagues Cup is an annual competition that includes teams from the MLS and the Liga MX, Mexico’s national soccer league, playing in a knockout bracket. The soccer rivalry between the United States and our Southern neighbors makes the Leagues Cup a massive deal to soccer fans of both leagues.
NSC’s road to the final last year included home upsets against the Liga MX powerhouses Club América, who Nashville beat in Penalties, and C.F. Monterrey, who Nashville beat 2-0.
The atmosphere at Geodis Park, NSC’s home stadium, throughout the Leagues Cup was absolutely electric throughout the tournament and is a testament to how big soccer can be in Nashville.
Once the finals were set, Nashville had a tough matchup ahead of them against Inter Miami, the new team of who some call the greatest soccer player of all time, Lionel Messi. Since Messi joined the MLS, no team had been able to beat Inter Miami.
“It was the most meaningful game of soccer I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Everyone wanted us (NSC) so badly. It was more than just about NSC winning but also about beating Messi,” said attendee Jack Wellons ‘24.
Unfortunately, NSC’s Cinderella run ended against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in a 1(9)-1(10) loss in penalties.
However, after the Leagues Cup ended in late August, NSC had a disappointing season end, only scoring three goals and picking up one win in their final seven games. This upsetting end left them finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference, and their season was over after a first-round sweep in the playoffs by Orlando City SC in a best-of-three series.
Though the regular season is the main focus for NSC, they will compete in the Concacaf Champion Cup as a result of their second-place finish in last year’s Leagues Cup. The Champions Cup includes teams from all of North America. The winner of this tournament earns the right to play in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. If Nashville wins the Champions Cup, fans could see them face up against some football powerhouses, such as the reigning Club World Cup champions Manchester City.
Now that the MLS is on the rise, with legends of the sport such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Hugo Lloris joining the league, clubs want to win it more than ever.
Even though Nashville has not been the landing spot of any top players, NSC has made their fair share of off-season moves to put them in the best position possible.
NSC has made some additions to their midfield with the signing of Dru Yearwood and Amar Sejdic, who arrived from other MLS clubs. Yearwood is a 23-year-old English player who came to Nashville from the New York Red Bulls. Sejdic also came from a different MLS club, Atlanta United. Sadly, the signing of this midfield pair was a result of the loss of the club legend Dax McCarty, who left to play for Nashville’s rival Atlanta United FC. McCarty was the club’s first captain during their inaugural season. In addition to these new faces in the midfield, 17-year-old Isaiah Jones from the NSC academy has been called up to the first team.
Nashville has also signed the veteran 33-year-old defender Brent Kallman and 21-year-old Julian Gaines, who will provide some much-needed depth to their defensive backline. These signings will prove crucial as Nashville is still looking for a reliable center-back partner to captain Walker Zimmerman.
Nashville worked most of the off-season looking to improve their attacking third of the field. Over this three-month span, they signed McKinze Gaines (older brother to Julian Gaines), Tyler Boyd, Forster Ajago, and Woobens Pacius. Gaines and Boyd look to fill the role of a speedy winger. Ajago was signed from the Duke University soccer team, where he scored fourteen goals in eighteen games last season. These signings may be able to answer Nashville’s goal-scoring problem from the end of last season.
After watching Tyler Boyd in Nashville’s season opener against Moca FC and home opener against the New York Red Bulls, I believe he will be the most impactful off-season signing. He is by far the most technical player on Nashville SC’s roster, and his creativity will hopefully bring some life to the players around him. Boyd scored a fantastic goal in the game against Moca FC in the Dominican Republic. After skillfully maneuvering through two defenders, he smashed the ball into the net after receiving a pass from Teal Bunbury. This is just a glimpse into his potential, and he will be a big difference-maker this season.
In addition to these fresh aspects of Nashville’s next season, they will also be rocking a new jersey at Geodis Park. The jersey features the club’s signature neon yellow color with a thick blue horizontal line that stretches from shoulder to shoulder.
Despite the numerous signings, I do not believe that Nashville will have a successful season. Players such as Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge need to become more clinical goal-scorers if the team hopes to keep up with the superstar signings of their competition. But until we see more from these two up front, Nashville will not succeed this season in the regular season or the Champions Cup.
