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USL Nashville SC

Nashville SC Has All Kinds of Motivation in U.S. Open Cup Showdown against Battery

May 29, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - A month that began with a rain-soaked Nashville Soccer Club win against Atlanta United 2 on May 4 will conclude on Wednesday night in Murfreesboro with a Third Round U.S. Open Cup match against Charleston Battery. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Hayes Stadium on the MTSU campus.

Nashville SC will have played eight matches in the month of May and have earned at least a draw in all but one of the first seven matches of the month. Having success has made the grind of two matches per week much more enjoyable for the Boys in Gold.

"I think I've probably said it before, when you're in a decent run, which we are, you tend to look forward to the games more, the body recovers a little bit easier, and you've certainly got a little bit more appetite, and you look forward to it," Head Coach Gary Smith said. "When you're not in a very good run, and maybe on the receiving end of a couple of poor results, the next game can be a bit problematic. We're in a very good place, I feel a lot of confidence in the group. I think being able to rotate the group as well as we have been able to this year has kept a very strong and united roster, players have great camaraderie. I think everyone is just looking forward to it. They know that there's a wonderful chance of maybe getting an MLS club in the next round, and that is the beauty of the Cup."

If Nashville takes care of business against Charleston on Wednesday night, it will get the chance to face an MLS opponent in the Fourth Round. While the players don't want to overlook the Battery in the Third Round, they understand what it would mean to get the chance to face MLS opponents as they try to earn a spot with Nashville in MLS in 2020.

"It's a chance for all of us to prove ourselves individually," defender Ken Tribbett said. "A couple of guys are signed already for next year, but a lot of us aren't. So it's a chance to showcase ourselves and try to get ourselves on the team next year."

Rather than tell his players to ignore what would lie ahead in the Fourth Round, Smith wants to use the idea of playing an MLS opponent as motivation for his squad.

"Well it should be an inspiration," Smith said. "It should be something that excites them, offers a massive opportunity not just for them to really test themselves against a top-level side, but to also show what they're about. That's really what this season is about for all of these guys. There would be no better opportunity than to play an MLS team and pick you wits against your opposing number. They know that, I don't have to present any sort of picture for them. They're fully aware that they're at home, they're against a side that we certainly need to show our true colors against having been beaten at their place, with the opportunity of playing a really good side in the next round."

As if the chance to face an MLS opponent was not enough motivation, Nashville SC will also be seeking to offset its worst defeat of the season, which came at Charleston Battery on April 20 by a score of 3-1. While the squad won't necessarily have revenge on its mind, it will certainly have plenty of hard lessons in mind for this win-or-go-home showdown.

"Revenge is always a very strong word," Smith said. "I do certainly feel as though we weren't able to show through their play and maybe through some of ours what we are about. I think there have been a lot of lessons learned probably for both teams since then. But it's certainly a game that I'd like to correct, if that's the right way to put it."

It's not too late to attend tonight's match at MTSU. Tickets are available online for $15.



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 29, 2019


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