USL Nashville SC

Nashville SC Prepared for Trip to Face Expansion Foes Birmingham Legion FC

May 21, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - In the days since Nashville Soccer Club was held to a 1-1 draw against Charlotte Independence, the players and coaching staff have spent plenty of time analyzing the outcome and positives and negatives of the match.

They'll have their first chance to apply any changes on Wednesday night in a road match against expansion club Birmingham Legion FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the match will be nationally televised on ESPNews.

"Looking back at it, we spent some time looking at some of the first half clips and trying to compare them with some of the work in the second period," Head Coach Gary Smith said of the effort against Charlotte. "The noticeable differences were that they sat slightly deeper and maybe had taken stock of what had happened in the first half. I thought they were very aggressive in the way that they played in that 3-5-2. That certainly had an impact, and on the back of that, the guys that were instrumental for us in the first half just looked a little bit flat, not quite as bright and as effective, and it's in those stages that they've got to dig deep and they've got to find the right type of solution to the equation that's thrown in front of us. So yeah, it's an ongoing process.

"My hope is that as we move through this season, and certainly getting into the halfway point, which we're not far from, we've got the answer to all the questions that are thrown at us. Frustrations of course at the weekend, but there were lots and lots of things to be very encouraged by in the first half, and I really think looking back on it we missed the opportunity in the first half. We really should have given the very encouraging areas we got in, and one or two really good moments, we should have taken advantage of it. We didn't, and in the end, they certainly adapted and found a couple of moments themselves as well."

Now, Nashville SC is tasked with facing first-year side Birmingham Legion FC, a club that Nashville played in the preseason on the road and soundly defeated 3-0. Having just gone through its inaugural season, Nashville is no stranger to what it takes to build an expansion side from the ground up, and it also knows not to underestimate a new club.

"They've had time to find a little bit of understanding, they've been around each other a little while now," Smith said. "It does look like there's been some rotation of bodies, maybe [Birmingham Coach] Tommy [Soehn] is looking to find the right group and the right connections. They've got a few additions from that preseason period, and that's to be expected. I think they were very early in their preparations when we played them. I expect fully to see a team that, at home, are going to be right up for the game. I think the players they have play that field well, they've got some talented boys, some nice technicians, it's a big and very decent surface there. So, their mantra is to try and make the most of that, and of course ours will be to disrupt that as much as we can and really show some of the signs that we have over the last four or five weeks, albeit maybe in spells. We've got to try and make that more consistent throughout the 90 minutes."

Even though the last meeting between the two sides was in a preseason friendly, the players can still take some lessons from that friendly and apply them in a match that will count for points on Wednesday night.

"They are a brand-new team just like we were last year," Defender Kosuke Kimura said. "They've got some decent players from MLS that used to play there. They have experienced coaches and staff and GM and all of that. I'm pretty sure they worked hard to get some good, decent players. They can pass the ball, they can move the ball, but at the same time, I think we can unlock them being more positive going forward in 1v1s. I think we have more athleticism, we can break that down. I think we showed that in the preseason, I think we were more committed in the transition if we can catch them on the counterattack."

Catch the match on ESPNews or the WatchESPN app on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Fans can also tune in on the radio on 94.9 Game 2. If you can't watch or listen, be sure to follow along with the official Nashville SC channels on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for up-to-the-minute coverage, insights, highlights, and analysis.



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 21, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central