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Nashville Ready for Steel FC’s Edge

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/24/18, 11:19AM EDT

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Bethlehem brings momentum into second meeting of season between playoff contenders


Nashville SC and Bethlehem Steel FC meet for the second time this season on Saturday in a key game in the USL Eastern Conference playoff race. | Photo courtesy Bethlehem Steel FC

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A lot of water has passed under the bridge since Nashville SC took a 1-0 victory against Bethlehem Steel FC on March 31 at Goodman Stadium, but Saturday’s second meeting between the clubs at First Tennessee Park (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+) is one of the biggest this weekend in the race for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

With Steel FC coming off a 2-0 victory against Ottawa Fury FC on Wednesday evening to win their fifth game in the last six outings, Nashville Head Coach Gary Smith is expecting a solid challenge to his side’s stellar home record this season.

“We are going to run into a young group who have matured throughout the course of the season,” said Smith. “Never sure who is going to travel … but I expect some very creative individuals and it will be an extremely tough game. They know this is an important game with four games in hand against us. They’ll need a win [ on Saturday night].”

Bethlehem has seen rotation in its lineup over the course of its recent run, which has moved the side into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but the overriding mentality the side has brought to the table game-in and game-out has allowed the side to maintain its strong push for a second consecutive playoff berth. Getting out to positive starts whether at home or on the road has been a key for Steel FC as it has put pressure on sides like Nashville – which has played four fewer games than Bethlehem going into Saturday’s contest – to match their results.

“I think the way we start games, the past five or six games we’ve done really well by pressuring them really hard,” said Steel FC midfielder Drew Skundrich. “To get on the front foot early, we call it possession defending, when it comes back out, we jam it back down their throats. Everyone that has been rotating in from the first team to our Steel guys back there has come in with the same game-plan set and I think we’ve been doing it really well.”

Skundrich has been one of the players to emerge over Steel FC’s strong recent run of form, having been ever-present in the starting lineup over the past six games. The 22-year-old Pennsylvania native who competed for the past four years at Stanford has allowed more freedom for the club’s attacking players to press higher up the field as he covers space in behind.


Bethlehem Steel FC midfielder Drew Skundrich has been a key to the club's recent run of five wins in six contests. | Photo courtesy Charlotte Independence

“When you drop into the midfield, you have to highlight Drew Skundrich’s ground coverage, I think he changes our ability to press higher up the field in a big way,” said Steel FC Head Coach Brendan Burke. “On top of being a high IQ guy, he covers so much ground.”

That level of defensive effort is going to be key against a Nashville side that sports a 7-1-2 record on its home turf. After putting in a pair of good road performance this month against FC Cincinnati and Louisville City FC in the past three weeks, the side is certainly looking forward to getting back in front of its home fans again.

“We’ve seen our best performances at home certainly,” said Smith. “Some of our most enjoyable ones. None of these are easy. This will certainly be a tough, tough challenge, but our guys enjoy being at First Tennessee Park and in front of our fans. In our current run of form, with two really good road results around a home win, we are ready to get back out there.” 

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