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How We Got Here: Inside Nashville SC's Roaring Inaugural Season

July 5, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


Nashville SC has been off to a blistering start to its inaugural season, and as the pinnacle of the Summer of Soccer approaches, it's time to take a look back at how the team got to this point.

If you're coming to a Nashville SC match for the first time on Saturday when the club takes on FC Cincinnati at Nissan Stadium, here's what you've missed.

Road Warriors

Nashville SC started the season with a brutal stretch of road matches. In fact, the club played at home just three times in its first 10 USL matches. On top of that, all but two of its first 10 opponents are currently in the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

Despite the tough schedule, Nashville SC survived and thrived in the early stretch of the season. It only lost two matches and picked up points in all three of its early home matches, including a draw in the home opener against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and a 2-0 win over Louisville City FC on Mother's Day.

The club capped off that stretch with four points in two matches. Nashville picked up a 1-1 draw at Charleston Battery and snagged a huge 1-0 win at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. That gave the team 16 points in the standings and a playoff spot going into a favorable stretch of home matches.

New Kids on the Block

To bolster its offensive attack, Nashville SC brought in forward Brandon Allen and winger Ish Jome on May 22. Since joining the team, Allen has provided a nose for the net that has helped him score some clutch goals, and Jome has been a commanding presence in the midfield.

Prior to the signings, the club scored nine goals in nine matches across all competitions. After the signings, the club has scored 16 in 10 matches across all competitions.

Opening Open Cup Run

In its first-ever season in the professional ranks, Nashville SC had a solid run to the Round of 16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club beat amateur clubs Inter Nashville FC and Mississippi Brilla FC before earning a matchup with MLS' Colorado Rapids. In that showdown at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville sprung the 2-0 upset over the MLS side to advance to the Round of 16.

Nashville's run would come to an end in the Round of 16 with a 2-1 loss to Louisville City FC.

The Summer of Soccer

As the calendar turned to June, Nashville SC started heating up in a big way. Across all competitions, Nashville went 4-2-1 in the month of June and vaulted itself into third place in the USL Eastern Conference.

Those four wins included an Open Cup win over an MLS team in the Rapids, two USL matches in which the club scored three goals and a thrilling 1-0 win over North Carolina FC thanks to a Ropapa Mensah goal at the death.

The Showdown with the Queen City

All this has built up to the big match on Saturday. It's the first-place team against the third-place team at Nissan Stadium. It's going to be the sports party of the Summer capped off with a fireworks display.

So, there's only one question left: have you got your tickets yet?

Get them at NashvilleSC.com/tickets or call (615) 457-8200.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 5, 2018


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