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Nashville Proving Quick Study of Eastern Rivals

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 06/25/18, 9:01PM EDT

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Expansion side will put eight-game league undefeated streak on line against Indy on Tuesday


Photo courtesy John Wilkinson III / Nashville SC

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – If there’s one thing that’s been a positive trait for Nashville SC in its inaugural season, the club’s coaches and players have certainly been a quick study on their competition around the USL Eastern Conference.

The first time around when NSC faces Louisville City FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Penn FC, it went 0-2-1 early in the season. The second time around? Nashville went 3-0-0, victories that powered its current run into the top four of the conference standings.

So, going into Tuesday night’s USL Game of the Week on ESPNews against Indy Eleven – which took a 2-1 victory when the sides first met at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 14 – there’s a measured level of optimism in Nashville’s camp that the side will continue that run of success and reverse the result from the first meeting between the clubs.

“As an organization, we have taken a lot from each game and learned from it,” said Nashville Head Coach Gary Smith. “We have learned a lot from not just the Indy game but from any team we have played against. [Indy is] an experienced side with some really exciting individuals. I would expect them to be a playoff team come the end of the season.”

Indy was the last side to defeat Nashville in league action, since when the side has gone eight games undefeated and conceded only four times. Having picked up four wins from four at First Tennessee Park after its dramatic 1-0 victory against North Carolina FC in the club’s last league outing, NSC has also been buoyed by the energetic fans that recently set a USL inaugural season record for season-ticket sales.


Nashville's crowd, led by The Roadies, has made a major impact at the club's home games this season, where NSC is 4-0-0 at First Tennessee Park. | Photo courtesy John Wilkinson III / Nashville SC

And while the club’s overall undefeated streak came to an end last Wednesday night against Louisville in the Round of 16 of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the progression the side has made at both ends of the field has surprised even Smith at how quickly the squad has become cohesive.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” said Smith. “When you can look back at chunks of time rather than just a moment, the body of work and the way you have developed can be so different. I am very pleased the group has evolved into what we consider to be a smoothly functioning group with some extremely exciting elements to it.

“We’ve got guys like Lebo [Moloto] who have been very productive and exciting. We can point to the fact that our backline and goalkeeper, that group, have been very consistent and difficult to break down. We have added a couple of new bodies as well and that transition has been smooth. If we can continue on that road, we would all be very pleased.”

With Tuesday night’s clash kicking off a week that sees Nashville play back-to-back games at First Tennessee Park as ATL UTD 2 visits on Saturday, the chance to bolster the club’s claim of being a major contender in the Eastern Conference is at hand for Smith and his side.

“We are looking at this back-to-back home stand as a big opportunity,” said Smith. “We looked at the four home games on the back of such a tough start that we could take advantage of it. We started off in a good vein. If we could add a minimum of four points in these next two games that would be welcome. If we can convert our chances, I believe we can do just that.”

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