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USL Insights – Nashville’s Magnificent Seven

By CHRIS HOCKMAN - chris.hockman@uslsoccer.com, 06/15/18, 4:37PM EDT

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NSC is in great form, undefeated in seven games in USL play. So how did they get there?


Photo courtesy John Wilkinson III / Nashville SC

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Being an expansion team means sometimes things might take time to get going in a club’s inaugural season. Having suffered only two defeats in 12 league outings, however, Nashville SC is now the most in-form team in the USL, undefeated in seven games in the league and 10 games in all competitions as it pushes for a place in both the USL Cup Playoffs and the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Ahead of Saturday night’s game against North Carolina FC at First Tennessee Park (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+), here are seven numbers that help explain Nashville’s success.

80.49 – When Nashville SC made goalkeeper Matt Pickens its first signing in club history, it acquired a veteran shot-stopper that would provide safe hands behind its back line. With an 80.49 save percentage this season, Pickens is second to only Orange County SC’s Andre Rawls among goalkeepers with 20+ saves this season.

41 – While Pickens is doing work between the sticks for Nashville, his defense isn’t faring badly at all either. NSC has allowed only 41 shots on goal this season, third-fewest in the league behind Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (25) and Louisville City FC (31). If defense wins championships, Nashville’s in good shape.

41.1 – Nashville had difficulty converting what Opta considers “big chances” early in the season, which accounts for its overall rate in 2018 sitting at 28.1 percent, but over its last seven games that number has risen to 41.1 percent, which has helped cause the uptick in attacking production in that span.

98 – Over his first two regular seasons in the USL – during which time he claimed the league’s Rookie of the Year award – Brandon Allen scored at a rate of a goal every 120.93 minutes. With two goals already in four appearances, Allen is below that rate at a goal every 98 minutes in league play, with his addition also having helped loosen up other areas of the club’s attack.

330 – If there’s one characteristic Nashville’s passing game has had this season, it’s been looking to get the ball into attacking areas quickly. 39.4 percent of the club’s have been forward according to Opta tracking, which means a high usage and work rate for frontrunners Ropapa Mensah and Lebo Moloto. That duo leads NSC in duels contested, normally the domain of central midfielders, with Mensah and Moloto competing for for 330 – or 24 percent – of the club’s contested duels so far this season.

42 – Nashville’s defensive prowess can be partially measured by the willingness of its players to close down opposing attackers, with the club having recorded 42 blocked shots this season. That means 25.8 percent of the 163 total shots Nashville has conceded haven’t had the chance to threaten Matt Pickens’ goal.

96 – What might be the most interesting number in Nashville’s recent run of form is one of the smallest compared to the rest of the league in that span. Starting with its contest on April 24 against Penn FC, Nashville has recorded only 96 touches in the opposition penalty area, third-fewest in the league prior to this weekend’s games, and an average of only 13.7 per game, half the average of Reno 1868 FC over that span. As well as Nashville has fared over the past two months, there could be a lot more to come from Head Coach Gary Smith’s side.

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