Nashville SC Flips the Script to Earn 1-0 Victory against Birmingham Legion FC
May 23, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release
BIRMINGHAM - Nashville Soccer Club started Wednesday night's match against Birmingham Legion FC with lots of pace and plenty of chances, but didn't have a goal to show for it.
It was a familiar script for the club, as it also started with similar pace against Charlotte Independence last week, but was unable to earn more than a 1-1 draw. This time, however, Nashville flipped the script and found a second-half goal en route to a 1-0 win over Birmingham.
Daniel Ríos converted a penalty won by Alan Winn to secure the victory in the 63' minute.
Before the penalty, however, Head Coach Gary Smith couldn't help but think back to the other matches in which Nashville missed chances and ultimately missed out on points.
"There was a great attitude from the outset, some nice energy and I think we started the brighter side," Smith said. "When you don't take advantage of those moments, it deflates the team. They have flashbacks too. They're only human. And then the opposing side get themselves back into the game and feel better about themselves. They regroup, they feel as though there's still plenty to play for having not gone behind and I thought they did a very good job of getting through that sticky period and making our lives very difficult. In fact, I thought their shape in the first half caused us problems. That tight diamond, they regained well, it was difficult for the lads to get any real traction in the game and our width and combination play out wide started to dissipate again as the half unfolded. Little bit of discussion at halftime, one or two little points, and I actually thought we came out and controlled the better periods. At a very important time, Alan gets himself on the wrong side of the defender with some neat footwork and obviously the rest we know."
Nashville dominated on the ball with 56.9% of possession throughout the match, but only managed a pair of shots on target, including Ríos' penalty. The build-up to the penalty resembled the strong possession play that Nashville SC demonstrated throughout the match. Winn made a nifty one-on-one play on the left wing and rounded the defender by the near post, only to be taken down in the box before he could get his shot away.
While earning the penalty was a good result from Winn's effort, he wasn't making that run just to earn a chance from the spot.
"I am not trying to get a PK," Winn said. "I want to score from the run of play. I tried to be as decisive as I can, and he just took me down. People can say it wasn't a penalty, but he clearly took me down from behind. I always try to score from the run of play. It's not as fun winning from a PK, but it is a goal nonetheless and we will take the three points."
The match also marked the USL Championship debut for new acquisition Derrick Jones. The MLS-bound midfielder played 26 minutes and completed 83% of his passes. Smith was pleased with how Jones performed in his first league action with his new squad, especially with how swiftly he's moved away from the Philadelphia Union, the only club he has known as a professional player.
"He looked composed, and he looked in control in a game where there were a lot of players that whilst showed plenty of energy, failed to really take control of their position or their role and I thought he settled us down a little bit," Smith said. "It's his first league 30 minutes for us, he showed some nice intensity. His 10 or 12 days since he left Philadelphia have been a bit of a turmoil for him with relocation and other family things going on. I thought he showed a great attitude, he gave us a bit of presence, and for his first league 30 minutes for us, I thought it was a nice cameo."
Despite not having the flashiest numbers in the victory, Smith is pleased to earn three points in a tough road environment and will look to roll the momentum over into a showdown on the road at Indy Eleven on Saturday night.
"In the end, in a very tight game, this normally happens if you're going to win, a moment of brilliance from Alan, Daniel keeps his cool," Smith said. "I have to say Matt Pickens made a couple of very timely saves at the other end when teams get back in it all too quickly and the result can change. But, I'm very very pleased with three points to add to the board again. In a tight schedule, it's always nice to get a win."
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