After suffering their first loss of the season to Charlotte FC last week, the Columbus Crew are back on the road to take on Nashville SC in the Music City. To get a better understanding of the Blue & Gold, we sat down with Claudio Villalobos at Nashville Total Sports to give us all the inside scoops on the home side.

Massive Report: How would you grade the Nashville offseason? Who are the key additions and
subtractions?

Nashville Total Sports: Certainly, preseason was not business as usual for this team. Gary Smith and his
boys had to do things a little differently because they had to play for points right
away as the team was qualified for the Concacaf Champions League where the
team accomplished satisfactory results by beating Moca FC-granted not a
powerhouse by any means- and then playing a couple of good games against
Inter Miami CF, especially the first one at Geodis Park that they should have won.

Dax Mccarty (Atlanta United), Fafá Picault (CF Montreal) and Luke Haakenson
(San Antonio FC) were the main roster departures

Forward Tyler Boyd (LA Galaxy), Forward McKinze Gaines (Austin FC), Midfielder
Dru Yearwood (NY Red Bulls), Defender Brent Kallman (Minnesota United),
midfielder Amar Sejdić (CF Montreal) are the most prominent additions.

MR: With such an inconsistent start to the season, what has been or is the major factor? How can the team overcome this and get better?

NTS: Injuries of Nashville’s key players are the driving factor of such a slow start to the
season. The absence of players like the Costa Rican international Randall Leal,
MLS previous two season All Star Game player Walker Zimmerman, the British
talisman Sam Surridge who just recently came back to the starting lineup, 2022
MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar who is still trying to gain his best game shape after
injury have proven to be too much from a team that needs and relies on these key
players.

MR: What are the expectations for the team among the fanbase?

NTS: Nashville SC fans expect that this team goes deeper into the 2024 playoffs. The
fact that their team has been able to qualify to the post season every year since
arriving to the MLS makes fans believe this is the least the team can accomplish
every season, Now, they want and demand more from coaching staff and players.
Nashville SC has been the driving force of the bragging rights for the city in
recent years and its fans feel it is a position in the city’s sports landscape that
they are not ready to negotiate.

MR: What are the strengths/weaknesses of the team? Where can things improve?

NTS: Nashville SC strength has always been its well-organized defensive shape which
is a fundamental part of coach Gay Smith tactical strategy. The Music City team
relies on his defense to build a high intense pressure on the ball, obtain ball
possession as soon as possible and exploit his main trait: A well organized and
patient transition game. Whenever this organization of strengths is not there like
it has happened at the beginning of the MLS season, Nashville SC suffers.
Things can improve quickly just by keeping the team’s main figures on the pitch
but also by getting more consistent efforts from bench players whenever there
are chances for them. Historically, Gary Smith has been able to squeeze his
roster in such a way that he gets particularly good performances from his players
even when coming off the bench. Nashville SC needs to get back to the good
manners when it come to the latest and the sooner the better.

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Kickoff from GEODIS Park is set for 8:30 p.m. You can watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.