Oppo Research: 5 Things about Nashville SC

In this edition of Oppo Research, Hudson River Blue spoke with Ben Wright of Broadway Sports Media to learn more about Nashville SC, New York City FC's opponent at Red Bull Arena on Sunday. Here is your NYCFC vs Nashville preview.

1. Injuries and defensive struggles have plagued Nashville

Hudson River Blue: Nashville limped into Leagues Cup on a six-game losing streak and didn’t make it out of their group. Since then, Nashville have won two of their last seven games and are all but eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2020. What went wrong this season?

Ben Wright: It's more a question of what hasn't gone wrong this season.

Obviously, Gary Smith's firing in May was a clear indicator that things weren't going well, but it runs deeper. Their defense has been uncharacteristically porous. Their 1.5 goals allowed per match is by far the most they've ever allowed before, with injuries to Walker Zimmerman and Lukas MacNaughton leaving them shorthanded for a lot of the season. Hany Mukhtar's poor form from the end of 2023 continued through most of the year, and Tyler Boyd tore his ACL in the summer. This was already a poorly built and one-dimensional roster, despite what Nashville's front office has publicly said, and injuries have made it even worse.

2. Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge are the only goal-scorers

HRB: Nashville’s 34 goals are tied for the fewest in MLS despite featuring talented attacking players like Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar. What led to Nashville’s offensive struggles?

BW: Mukhtar has improved a lot since Callaghan took over, with four goal contributions in his last five matches. Sam Surridge has been the bright spot so far this season, scoring 14 goals in all competitions despite pretty poor service for a lot of the year. Tyler Boyd was also a big part of the attack, but he's been out since mid-July. Under Gary Smith - and continuing under interim Rumba Munthali - their patterns of play were static, ideas were limited, and they struggled to turn field position into chances. It's started to improve under Callaghan, but it will take both time and a re-tooled roster to truly get this thing up and running.

3. B. J. Callaghan is the right man for the job

HRB: B. J. Callaghan was named head coach of Nashville in early July. It’s not gone great for him, but do you think he’s the right man for the job?

BW:  I actually think the performances have been a lot better than the results.

That's probably a low bar, given their early issues, but there's a lot to be excited about for next season. He's also been in charge for nine matches in all competitions, entirely too short of a time to fully judge a manager, especially one who inherited a roster that was built to play a completely different style of play. I'm expecting more roster turnover than Nashville has seen since their expansion year in the winter, and I'm optimistic that things will look a lot different in 2025. The good news is that he's already gotten a lot out of Mukhtar and Surridge, and those two should continue to be the foundation of the attack for the next several seasons.

4. The X-Factor: Hany Mukhtar

HRB: What's the X-factor that could decide this game?

BW: It's the obvious answer, but Hany Mukhtar. His numbers have been really good recently, he's looked much more dangerous and influential, and he's getting on the ball in more dangerous areas. He's also chasing a bit of history: He needs three goals from these last two games to become the first player in MLS history with double-digit goals and double-digit assists in four consecutive years.

5. Predicted score, Starting XI

HRB: Prediction time: Starting XI? Final score?

BW: 3-2 win for NYCFC.