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USL Nashville SC

Preview: Nashville SC Returns to First Tennessee Park to Face Hartford Athletic

August 5, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - As Nashville Soccer Club enters the final months of its regular season campaign, Head Coach Gary Smith senses "a bit more of a ruthless edge about the group and a belief that we're going to get it done." Smith's men have shown that during a three-match winning streak, the first in club history, and will be looking to extend it to four this Wednesday against Hartford Athletic. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at First Tennessee Park.

How to Follow:

Local Television: MyTV30 with John Freeman, Ronnie Woodard and Kelly Glendenning

English Radio: ESPN 94.9 Game 2 with Wes Boling and Braden Gall

Spanish Radio: El Jefe 96.7 with Alexis Martinez and Manfred Villalobos

Digital Stream: ESPN+

Social Media: @NashvilleSC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Last Time Out

Nashville SC won its third consecutive match on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Swope Park Rangers on the road. After peppering the net throughout the first half, Nashville finally broke through late in the first half on a Lebo Moloto strike to the lower left corner. Early in the second half, Daniel Ríos continued his scoring tear with a goal off a great feed from Moloto to put Nashville up 2-0. The victory was Nashville's third in a row and third clean sheet in a row.

Scouting Hartford

Hartford Athletic currently sits in 17th place in the Eastern Conference. In its last five matches, it has lost three and won two. Recently, the club moved into its permanent home at Dillon Stadium. The club is tied for 22nd in the league in goals scored, but has allowed the most goals in the USL Championship and recently earned its first-ever clean sheet (a 3-0 win over Bethlehem Steel FC). Hartford's leading scorer is José Angulo, who has four goals in 21 appearances. The team also boasts five players with three goals.

Storylines to Watch

An Epic Rematch

On June 16, Nashville SC and Hartford Athletic played one of the wildest matches of the 2019 season at Rentschler Field in Hartford. Nashville won 3-2 thanks to a Cameron Lancaster laser in the final minutes of the match. The first half of this match featured a save off the line by Nashville's Darnell King, the opening goal by Nashville's Daniel Ríos and a quick equalizer on a header by Hartford. In the second half, Matt Pickens made a brilliant save on a penalty, but Nashville conceded the go-ahead goal moments later. However, the match was far from over, as Moloto buried a rebound to tie things up. In the 85' minute, Lancaster cut to the top of the box with the ball and rifled a shot that kissed the crossbar and went in to secure all three points for Nashville. After such an intense matchup in June, Hartford will certainly be looking for revenge this week in Nashville.

Home Cookin'

With more than four months of the season gone, Nashville SC still has a whopping eight home matches ahead in the final three months of the 2019 season. Wednesday's match against Hartford will be the first of four home matches in August for Nashville SC. Since May, Nashville has played five home matches and lost just one, won two and drawn two. The club also had a 2-1 lead against New York Red Bulls II at home before that match was ultimately postponed to August 21. The match will be replayed in its entirely on that date.

Keepin' it Clean

In the last three matches, Nashville SC has won three times and maintained a clean sheet in all three matches. New centerbacks Jimmy Ockford and Forrest Lasso, both acquired on loan from MLS clubs, have made a difference so far in helping to earn those clean sheets. Matt Pickens has started all three of those matches as well, making some crucial saves last weekend against Indy Eleven at home to earn that clean sheet. Against Swope Park Rangers, Nashville SC's defense did not allow a single shot on target.



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 5, 2019


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