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USL Nashville SC

Nashville SC Preparing for Unique Challenge in Pittsburgh against Riverhounds SC

April 26, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - Nashville SC will make its lone trip of the season to the Steel City this weekend to take on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, a club that presents a number of unique challenges for opponents.

Riverhounds SC has been one of the most consistent disciplined clubs in the USL Championship, and they are particularly stellar at home. Last season, they lost at home just twice, with one of the losses coming to Nashville SC. Both losses were by 1-0 scores.

Going up against a defensively strong side like Pittsburgh can be a difficult task, even with a Nashville offense that boasts some elite scoring talent.

"[Pittsburgh Coach] Bob's [Lilley] teams are always well-disciplined," said defender and former Riverhound Taylor Washington. "I think we have to look for any chink in the armor to score goals. If we stick to system, get the balls to the forwards, get the balls to the box, get a head on it and create opportunities, a goal is a goal. We just need to find a way to exploit them and find a way to get a result."

Another unique challenge that Pittsburgh's Highmark Stadium presents is the turf surface. While it has been tough to play on in the past, the club added a brand-new astroturf surface for this season. The ball will play fast along the artificial surface, so Nashville will have to be ready to make quicker plays and figure out how much power to put into any pass or through ball.

The combination of a new, fast playing surface with a disciplined side in Pittsburgh can present a very difficult challenge, but Head Coach Gary Smith knows there's a way to come out on the other side with three points.

"It is a particularly difficult and unique place to go play," Smith said. "Their field is probably as tight as any. The artificial surface makes it's a lively game. The way that [Pittsburgh coach] Bob [Lilley] constructs his teams makes it incredibly difficult to get any fluidity. If we found it tough to break a defense down last week, then this is cranked up a notch. I think he does a fabulous job of, in the modern game, recruiting players and bringing a team together who just give their heart and soul into every game that they play. Do they sometimes lack a bit of finesse? Yes. Do they sometimes lack an odd individual that can be inspiring to the crowd? Yes. But are they one of the most difficult teams to play against? Absolutely.

"The fact is this - if you do not go there with a mentality that you will have a really, really tough day, come what may, then you have a problem. It won't be a particularly pretty affair I won't imagine. Mindset is the key. Being physically ready for the challenge that is in front of us, and staying the course. As a group I think Pittsburgh are the most drilled and determined that there is."

Nashville SC will enter this match with a chip on its shoulder and its ego bruised after a 3-1 thrashing on the road at the hands of Charleston Battery. While the club has historically bounced back from tough defeats, the Boys in Gold will still approach this match with some fire and energy as they look to get back in the win column.

"I think it's a bit of a kick of the backside, wake-up call, to the fact that there are no easy games," Smith said. "Charleston are a team that have constantly been in the playoffs and proved throughout their history, they are one of the more competitive teams. They will be in the hunt for silverware. We have to be mindful of that, not forget where we are. You forget sometimes the nitty-gritty of winning matches. The small plays that can impact the game. More often than not when you have good players, that will start to shine through."

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