24. Will Nashville SC Make A Splash In Their First-Ever Season In The MLS?

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So, you landed an expansion team and it’s your inaugural year? Here’s a checklist of things you have got to do to make sure you’ll have a good and successful launch

Ensure that you have a great logo with some fun color combinations ❌

Go and get either a big-time talent signing or a well-respected, big brain coach ❌

Have a nice and exciting jersey. Definitely don’t go basic and boring. Scream “GOAT SHIT!” on your kits ❌

Field an exciting roster. Use all those DP slots. Stack that roster with talent ⬜️ (jury still out)

At the very least have a good relationship with your host cities. Do NOT fuck with the Mayor do NOT ❌

 

Oh man, is Nashville off to a bad start. I want this team to take off, I really do. Nashville is fucking awesome. Hell, they couldn’t even get their hashtag right. #EveryoneN is so fucking bad that you almost have to respect it. I get it. It can’t be easy to start a new team in less than 3 years. Technically the jury is still out on whether or not Nashville SC will have a Cincinnati type of inaugural season, but I’ll break it to you first, they will.

USL Championship Still Counts

In 2019, Nashville fell victim to the hell that is the 1 game playoff decider. With arguably the leagues best defense and a nice attacking side led by Daniel Rios, Nashville was well equipped to win the league. But one ball in behind the defense by Indy was enough to end Nashville’s USL run. But the team was promising. Prior to their loss to Indy, they had 1 loss and 1 draw in the prior 10 games. It would probably be argued that Nashville was the best team in the Eastern Conference if you take into account Pittsburg’s VERY slow start.

Good: The defense. 26 goals are you kidding me. Some NWSL teams play double that in fewer games. I won’t name names, but it rhymes with Starlando Tide.

Bad: 1 playoff game format. They have got to hate it.

Nashville’s Spongebob GIF 2020

I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel bad for Nashville given their current stadium situation. If you aren’t really aware, Nashville’s proposed new stadium was going to be finished in time for this MLS season, but a lawsuit and problems with the Mayor means, yup you guessed it, THEY HAVEN’T EVEN BROKEN GROUND. While that situation is being “resolved,” soccer ops have been sneakily forming a team with lots of hope.

Offseason Moves

5 players are returning from their USL team. Most notably Daniel Rios who had a PHENOMENAL season last year. Newcomers David Accam Dax McCarty and Walker Zimmerman bring all the experience needed for a successful team. Hany Mukhtar, Daniel Rios, and Randall Leal provide the hope of MLS first-timers that’ll make a big impact. They just NEED, to address those last 2 DP spots. Looking for a pro-ready goalkeeper, and a strong defensive-minded midfielder to pair with McCarty is what they should aim for.

Starting XI

This is such a boom-or-bust roster. Accam hasn’t exactly been the best winger of recent. McCarty has some tread to his game. Godoy wasn’t exactly a world-beater, and I’d actually give Derrick Jones a shot given his physique. I also would try Rios as a starter and see if he can play as well as in the USL. Mukhtar is a question mark. Leal is a question mark. The only real-deal-Holyfield player out there is Zimmerman, who (whom?) they paid a hefty HEFTY price for.

Like I mentioned early, I’d love to see them spend either, this summer, or maybe next winter on a GK or MF. We also don’t know how if Gary Smith will be able to repeat what he did with Colorado in 2010. But that was 10 years ago, during MLS 2.0.

Betting Odds

+15000 to win via Bovada

Yikes. The worst odds of any team this year. And who can blame Bovada? Teams without that major signing before the season don’t typically end well. Obviously Cincinnati last year but, Minnesota they year before that. And the Chicago Fire inaugural season ghost still stands. No team since Chicago has won the league in their inaugural season. Good news, that curse CAN be broken this year. But it won’t be by this Nashville team.

Best Watches

I kinda want to watch as much Nashville as I can. But you gotta narrow it down when the team might not be a playoff team. You gotta watch the inaugural game vs Atlanta. Nashville is opening up the upper deck at Nissan Stadium to try and break a record for the biggest crowd this season. Don’t know if that’s the right move chief.

You also gotta check out the Spider-Man meme game. And the battle of expansion teams. Miami vs Nashville might be the game that shows the route for new expansion teams. Bringing in new players with a splash of MLS experience, or bringing in a majority of experience with a splash of potential. And who could forget decision day?

Predictions

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFOracFClBg?start=19]

I think Nashville SC WILL NOT repeat what Cincinnati did last year. I’m split between giving them the bottom of the barrel treatment, and the just on the cusps of playoffs treatment. Gary Smith will do a great job in coaching this team, but without some more DP’s on the team, I don’t see them contending. I think this will be Daniel Rios only year with Nashville as Guadalajara’s JJ Macias will not be on that team come the Fall, so Rios will be in the running to be Chivas’ numbah 9. I expect Mukhtar to have a big year and be a newcomer of the year finalist. But I don’t see this team in the playoffs.

If you hated that blog, you’ll hate the next 23. Come back to see who is next on my list, as I count down from Worst-to-First for the 2020 season.

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