This post is going to be split into two parts: first, why should I care about soccer now that the World Cup is over? Secondly, what did those whose soccer energies were occupied for the last month miss from their local club?
“I’m done with soccer for the next four years”
A suggestion: don’t be! It’s a great sport, and there’s plenty of excitement even between the world’s largest sporting event every four years.
Of course, the lack of the United States Men’s National team from El Mundiál likely meant fewer casual fans tuned in than typically would. Supporting soccer more frequently than every four years will go a long way toward doing your part to prevent that absence from recurring in four years’ time. Yes, a follower’s impact is minimal, but certainly doing your part is all that anyone can ask.
More importantly, there is good, exciting local soccer available. Nashville SC is on pace to be outstanding for an expansion USL team – and has an opportunity to be outstanding for any USL team period – and local soccer deserves your support. Second-division soccer may not be the sexiest hobby in the world, but there’s something to the concept behind “our town, our club” that makes it more meaningful than that. If you have a hard time supporting MLS because of something something pro-rel (regular readers will know I’m not sympathetic to that view generally), you can stick it to the man by being more invested in USL, anyway.
This is a team that has the support of its city (well, at times, there’s potential for some hang-ups, in spite of the vast majority of public opinion and in spite of Metro Council members individually opening themselves up to legal action from MLS and the club – there’s no overstating how stupid this pissing contest is – in the push for a soccer-specific stadium), and we’re just a couple years away from having a top-flight club. The time to hop on the bandwagon – if you haven’t yet – is now.
With an international friendly against Mexico (Concacaf’s fiercest rivalry, and one of the better rivalries across the entire globe) coming to Nashville this Fall, you’ll want to be emotionally invested in the game now. When you take into account that Nashville proving to be a soccer city would bode very well for hosting games in the 2026 tournament, there’s no time like the present.
“What’d I miss”
If you spent the latter half of June and early portion of July watching primarily international soccer – and neglecting the soccer product a little closer to home – don’t worry; I’ve got you!
When you left Nashville SC June 13 (the day of the 2026 World Cup’s being awarded to the United Bid with Mexico and Canada), the team was 5-2-5 in USL play, coming off a disappointing draw against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but still on a 10-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, and fourth in the USL’s Eastern conference. The club was also just a couple days away from a road trip to Louisville in the fifth round of the 2018 US Open Cup.
Things have been a little rocky since then (maybe you, World Cup Attention Giver, were an important part of the previous success! Glad to have you back!). NSC lost that game in Louisville, ending its run in the cup. The club has also gone 2-2-1 in USL play (beating North Carolina FC and Atlanta United 2 at home, losing to Indy Eleven and drawing FC Cincinnati in Nashville, and losing to Charlotte Independence on the road), dropping to No. 7 in the Eastern Conference.
There’s still a lot to look forward to, though, and the club could be poised for a nice little run coming up: they travel to Ottawa this weekend for a game against the Fury (currently No. 8 in the Eastern Conference power ratings), then return home for a mid-week game against Atlanta United 2, then travel to Rochester, N.Y., for a contest against moribund Toronto FC II. That should be a minimum of seven points – or it’s actually time to start worrying – and nine is likely the expectation from the three games. Given that NSC could climb as high as No. 4 just by making up its games in-hand on teams higher in the table, and the standings could look a lot better in short order.
NSC has also played the toughest schedule in the entire USL (by a pretty significant margin), both in terms of home/road split – though that’s been equalized in the month we missed you – and competition played. Since all teams in the East play relatively even schedules… that means we’re on track to see the soft underbelly of the schedule during the stretch run (two games against Ottawa and Toronto, two more against Atlanta, two against Richmond, hosting a Tampa Bay team that’s awful away from home, etc.), and a potential run on points in the table.
We’re glad to have you back, and you couldn’t have chosen a better time to re-join the local soccer observing community.
Have a friend who you’re trying to convince to pay more attention to local soccer? Feel free to share this post to spread the gospel.
Club and Country 