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USL Nashville SC

Nashville SC Expecting Strong Challenge on the Road against Saint Louis FC

September 7, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - Nashville Soccer Club has handled its business in recent weeks, and its paid off in the form of a magical bounce-back win over Charleston Battery and a statement victory on the road at the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Now, the club's next challenge will come against a playoff-hungry Saint Louis FC on the road in Fenton, Missouri. While this match might not have the storylines or the high stakes of the last two matches, it is still expected to be a tough challenge and an important match to win. The Boys in Gold are rightfully feeling good right now, but that doesn't mean they have reached any of their goals yet.

"As you can imagine, it's very buoyant," Head Coach Gary Smith said of the mood of the team. "The important factor for us is that winning games at this point just reinforces some of the good results that we've had. If we feel as though the job is done, which it is nowhere near done really, then you normally find that you drop points at the least opportune time. Indy won again last night and they've got games in hand, Pittsburgh has got games in hand and are in great form. There's still some teams that are in a great place, probably better than we are. So we need to keep adding on points to the board as often as possible."

Saturday's match will be Nashville SC's penultimate road match of the season, with only a road clash with Loudoun United FC remaining later in September. This season, Nashville SC has nine road wins, more than double the club's total road wins from 2018. It has faced a wide variety of tasks on the road against different kinds of teams and different kinds of surfaces, but more times than not, the team finds a way to get it done on the road.

"I just think that we found this grittiness to the group that's really been able to just help us grind out results when we need them," midfielder Matt LaGrassa said. "Different games have presented different challenges for us, but on the road, we're just finding ways to get the job done which I think is a good sign of a winning team."

The match will also mark a homecoming for both of Nashville SC's goalkeepers. Matt Pickens and Connor Sparrow are both from the St. Louis area, and Pickens has a special connection to Saint Louis FC's home ground, West Community Stadium at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.

"I played only one other game there and that was with Tampa like two years ago when Tampa joined the USL," Pickens said. "It's always great. I actually used to play on that same field as a teenager. I know it well. I still have a lot of family back there so it's going to be a fun time. Stay focused, get the three points, and enjoy the company."

Saint Louis FC is a squad that started the year red-hot, but struggled through the middle section of the USL Championship season as it made a run to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup. However, in recent weeks, the club might have found a new stride, as it has won its last two matches at home to put it back in playoff position. Saint Louis FC will have lots to play for on Saturday night when Nashville SC comes to town, and Smith's team will be ready.

"I expect a very difficult game," Smith said. "Two recent wins at home, it seemed to me from a distance that maybe the Cup run interfered somewhat with some of the flow and the continuity of the league play. It also puts an added stress on, some pressure on bodies. They're missing a couple of players as well and have been, could be due to the extra games, who knows. Nonetheless, I think they're getting back to where they were. Over the last couple of games I've watched, there's a renewed energy and fight about the group and I'm guessing that's been brought on by their chase for a playoff spot. But it makes them an extremely tough group to play on their home field. It's a lively field, it makes for a real up-and-at-them game, which we'll be ready for. This league is all about adapting and I think it will be nothing like the game last week down in Tampa."

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