Welcome to The Wrap! There’s plenty written about each Nashville SC game, and I want to make sure you don’t miss any of it. Here’s everything I wrote, along with a selection of some really good stuff from around the internet.
Local content
FC Cincinnati scored multiple goals in just one road game all through the 2020 season. It took just 12 minutes in Nissan Stadium.
The Boys in Gold responded, but only managed enough to save the draw. Jhonder Cádiz tapped home a Randall Leal cross at the back post in the 20th minute, and Leal scored from distance in the 64th. They’ll be disappointed in a single point on the table after creating numerous chances throughout the second frame.
April 17, 2021
The game column with quotes from the postgame press conference:
Of course, in a rare moment of honesty for goal-scorers after such highlight-reel moments, Leal admitted that has was trying to play it to a teammate at the back post. But they all count when they hit the back of the net.
“I think the most beautiful goals comes when you want to do another thing, you know?” he admitted. “Of course, I want to cross, and then the ball has come to the target. You know, this was like a surprise for me, you know. Because I say the most beautiful goals, I think the guys don’t think about ‘do this, you know?’ It’s like you want to do something and then the ball goes the other direction and you make a goal like that.
“But it’s God’s plans, so this is what I say thanks to God because the goal today comes because I pray a lot, and sometimes I want to do something – today I want to cross the ball, and then it’s come to the goal. Thanks to God.”
Nashville poured on the pressure thereafter, finishing the game with more than 1.5 more expected goals, but none of those 14 subsequent attempts managed to find the back of the net.
April 19, 2021
The Graphical looked at how impressive Nashville’s ability to generate offense truly was… and also why that is ultimately a disappointment:
There were only 12 instances of home teams recording 3.0 or greater expected goals (in 308 contests!), and only four with more than 3.5 xG (that’s right – this would have been the fifth-best home offensive output by xG in the league last year).
April 20, 2021
And a pair of Film room posts. Given that each team had one fluky goal and one well-worked goal, I looked into the more-interesting one for FC Cincinnati and for Nashville SC.
I also updated the story that includes the lovely GIF above with some pretty honest and informative quotes from Alex Muyl, so check it out, even if you already have.
And finally, the voting post, and your results for the Community ratings:
Don’t forget you can type comments in the box below the numerical votes each week!
- Man of the Match M Randall Leal: 8.65 Community comments:
- “Very strong game for 75+minutes. Another gritty performance. Passing will get back on track “
- “Slow start, areas for improvement in communication/connection”
- GK Joe Willis: 4.53 Community comments:
- “Uncharacteristic mistake in the box..3-4 goal kicks went out of bounds”
- “Two goals on two SOGs isn’t a good look.”
- D Walker Zimmerman: 7.21
- D Dave Romney: 6.94
- D Dan Lovitz: 6.52 Community comments:
- “Created 8 chances. Goal saving defending was fantastic “
- “Showed fatigue and inaccurate placement in second half but still strong.”
- D Alistair Johnston: 5.93
- M Aníbal Godoy: 6.94 Community comment:
- “Outstanding for 77+ minutes. Once again the glue in the MF”
- M Dax McCarty: 6.13 Community comments:
- “Very strong game for 75+minutes”
- “Another gritty performance. Passing will get back on track”
- “Slow start, areas for improvement in communication/connection”
- M Hany Mukhtar: 6.79 Community comment:
- “Very strong game from Mukhtar. Even when he was being blatantly fouled, he played with composure and skill. Fantastic set pieces, so close to connecting.”
- M Alex Muyl: 6.55
- F Jhonder Cádiz: 6.87
- M Handwalla Bwana (70′ sub): 7.01
- “Very good showing at the right wing. Bwana put himself in fantastic positions offensively for 30+ minutes “
- “Great start from Bwana. Excited to see more from him this year.”
- F CJ Sapong (60′ sub): 6.44
- Head coach Gary Smith: 6.72
- Overall Team Rating: 6.72
Fair marks all around. Don’t forget you can participate in the Community Rankings each week by voting in the post that goes up after the game.
Randall Leal was named to the MLS Team of the Week. He came fourth in Player of the Week voting.
Elsewhere
The MLSSoccer.com game center always has some useful stuff post-game. NSC story. Drake Hills game story in the Tennessean, as well as a Gentry Estes column. Postgame story from Nashville Post. Field Level Media story. Broadway recap. Three takeaways. En Español. Fox Sports calls Leal’s goal one of the highlights of the opening week. TUDN video highlight of the Cádiz goal and the Leal banger.
Game recap from the FC Cincinnati site. Postgame worry from the Cincinnati side of things. FCC had a duo join Leal on the Team of the Week. Very deserving for Tyton. Queen City Press postgame analysis.
Club and Country 