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. Nashville continues to split points with its visitors, with Inter Miami the latest to snag a draw at Nissan Stadium.
Local content
Gary Smith has talked about finding the right balance between attack and defense in these early stages of the season, particularly when only two of Nashville’s planned six preseason games actually ended up coming to fruition (including one canceled against this very IMCF side). Today, the pendulum may have swung too far toward the defense, with Nashville showing a few moments of brightness in attack, but too willing to lump in crosses from the right wing against an Inter Miami team that also earned its first clean sheet of the year.
May 2
The game column with quotes from the postgame press conference:
Three of Miami’s five shots came in the game’s opening 12 minutes, with both of those that tested Joe Willis arriving before the clock turned to seven. That included a solid diving save… and a lack of shot-stopping required from the veteran netminder for the remainder of the game.
“I would prefer to get my hands on the ball early,” Willis said. “Make a couple of saves because it gives you that confidence going forward, even though there will be lulls in the game where you’re not really involved, if something pops up in the 70th minute, 75th minute, you can go back on that first save you made and have the confidence to do it again.”
May 3
The Graphical looked at how Nashville disappointed offensively, but is perhaps coming around on defense.
Inter Miami forced two saves from Joe Willis in that timeframe, and both were scary moments. But here’s Miami’s xG over the course of the contest – with Nashville’s raceplot jumping off the chart pretty early on:
Those two shots went for a total of 0.117 expected goals… They weren’t exactly slam dunks that Joe Willis had to go above and beyond to stop.
May 5
The film room looked at Nashville’s attempt at a set-piece routine that didn’t quite work out:
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 GK Joe Willis: 9.09 Community comments:
- Did what was asked. I thought I was going to die when he tried that Cruyff turn, though
- 2 critical saves early
- Yas queen
- D Dave Romney: 7.53 Community comments:
- Steady and Superior defending
- Saving us from ourselves, per usual
- D Alistair Johnston: 7.01 Community comments:
- Hey lads, let’s just whip another 10,000 crosses into the mixer.
- “Solid outing. Needs to be more effective offensively 1v1 in the final 3rd (with speed). His crossing on the move is average “
- D Walker Zimmerman: 6.70 Community comments:
- That “classic Zim moment” probably should have cost us the game. Thanks VAR!
- Solid game …exception was position on the yellow card…Romney saved him
- D Dan Lovitz: 6.65 Community comments:
- Solid defensively, but the shot was horrible on perhaps the best scoring chance.
- Lovitz has the speed, endurance, and awareness of a 10, plagued by the imprecision of a 5.
- M Dax McCarty: 7.62
- M Aníbal Godoy: 6.23 Community comments:
- Might need better cleats for Nissan’s terrible turf
- Man in the middle is crisp and tough
- M Randall Leal: 6.44 Community comments:
- “Solid outing…needs to get the ball in space more where he’s dangerous. He’s playing with confidence “
- Continues to excel but lacks the support to dominate
- M Alex Muyl: 6.39
- M Hany Mukhtar: 5.78 Community comments:
- Has to figure out a way to play through contact
- Talented player who needs to find the game more consistently
- Best option for set pieces but disconnected passing performance
- F Jhonder Cádiz: 5.93
- F CJ Sapong (61′ sub): 6.40 Community comments:
- “High soccer IQ and movement. Physical player who makes his teammates better “
- M Handwalla Bwana (76′ sub): 6.00 Community comments:
- I think he’s got to be the starter
- “Shows flashes of craftiness at times. Doesn’t track back/defend with purpose. Needs to be more dangerous 1v1 “
- F Dom Badji (76′ sub): 5.88 Community comments:
- “Badji was bright and displayed energy. Gets into good positions. Needs to get the ball in space to run at defenders “
- Badji came to play and made impressive opportunities during his minutes on the pitch. Looking forward to seeing more from him after this week.
- M Rodrigo Piñeiro (90’+2 sub): 6.30 Community comments:
- “Needs some time to develop. Seems willing to work hard. Let’s keep the hype in check “
- Not much to go on, but Piñero looks great. Love his energy. Can’t wait to see more from him.
- Head coach Gary Smith: 6.50 Community comments:
- Was that contract extension possibly a bit premature?
- Overall Team Rating: 5.83 Community comment:
- I’m growing weary of watching this team survive.
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.
Willis was the league’s keeper of the week.
We also talked about the game on the ‘cast.
Elsewhere
The MLSSoccer.com game center always has some useful stuff post-game. NSC story. Drake Hills game story in the Tennessean. The Armchair Analyst is nonplussed. Field-Level Media gamer. From the Nashville Post. Broadway game story and player ratings. Spittin’ facts McCarty. Slow start worth worrying about?
Miami sent love to their missing Higuaíns. We may never know if Phil Neville is a double agent. More from the Miami end. AP story. Three takeaways for Miami. Gamer from the Miami Herald. Phil Neville was satisfied with the result (double agent).
Club and Country 