(Apologies for the delay on this one. Obviously I didn’t have the same knowledge it was coming as I did with the Willis extension).
Nashville SC has extended the contract of defender Dave Romney, the third NSC player to have his contract extended during or following the 2020 MLS season.
UPDATE: Romney’s extension runs through the 2023 season, with a club option for 2024.
He joined goalkeeper Joe Willis in playing every minute of the 2020 season, and alongside MLS Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman, helped lead a defense that was among the best in the league. Nashville SC allowed 22 regular-season goals, more than only Philadelphia’s 20 and Columbus’s 21.
It was seventh in expected goals terms (27.65 expected goals allowed) – how a team outperforms its xGA number is always a bit of pseudo-science, but largely falls on good goalkeeping – despite playing a schedule that missed seven of the bottom nine xG offenses in the league (including Nashville’s own offense). Romney also scored a goal and two assists to contribute to Nashville’s offense.
In his five years with LA Galaxy, Romney had trouble consistently breaking into the lineup, and was very open that he felt he didn’t get a fair shake from the coaches in Carson (I also think he’s right: comparing points per game while ignoring he almost exclusively played road games is lazy analysis).
The 27-year old native of Irvine, Calif. played his college ball at San Francisco, and Nashville represents his first significant time living outside the Golden State. Not only has that time been kind to him on the pitch, but he now knows it’ll continue.
Photo courtesy Major League Soccer
Club and Country 