The Columbus Crew return to action Wednesday after back-to-back thrashings of the New England Revolution and Sporting Kansas City in the last two contests. Now, the Black & Gold return to midweek action facing off against Nashville SC for the second time this season. The previous meeting in Nashville was part of a string of six consecutive draws for the Black & Gold. This time, they’ll look to keep their winning streak alive against another Eastern Conference playoff team. Here’s what you need to know about Nashville and their interim coach, and how the Crew can get the best of a historically fickle foe on Wednesday night in Columbus. 

Nashville SC at a Glance:

Record: 6-8-6, 26 points

Recent Form: L-W-W-D-L

Leading Scorer: Sam Surridge (7)

Assist Leader: Hany Mukhtar (5)

Player to Watch: Hany Mukhtar

The 2022 MLS MVP is the best player on Nashville’s roster and one of the best players in the league. Despite a slow start to his 2024 campaign, Mukhtar has burst to life since the two sides last met. Mukhtar is a rare attacker who has the ability to act as a provider and a finisher and he often finds himself with chances to do both throughout the course of any given match. Mukhtar normally operates in the central attacking midfield with the ability to roam about the field wherever he can find space. This helps him facilitate as his team breaks forward and also allows him to join attacks in whatever space develops as Nashville progresses the ball forward. The 29-year-old German also excels in attacking transition because he can take on isolated defenders 1v1, as well as make darting runs into open spaces. When Mukhtar receives the ball with time and space in front of goal, you may as well forget about it. For the Crew, Mukhtar’s ability in attacking transition will be most concerning. Due to the Crew’s playing style, there are always chances for the opponents to break out in transition, and Mukhtar is among the league’s elite in these moments. Slowing Mukhtar down in transition will be of a huge importance to the Black & Gold on Saturday.

How Nashville SC play: 

Gary Smith was let go by Nashville in May after a disappointing start to the campaign. Nashville’s head coaching search is ongoing with interim coach Rumba Munthali steering the ship in the Music City in the meantime. While Smith is gone, there are several key themes that still are a part of this Nashville side.

Munthali has opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation in the majority of Nashville’s recent matches, and all of their last five. This is a switch from a 4-4-2 in his first few matches in charge. This change is likely to get all of Nashville’s best-attacking players on the field at the same time. When in possession, Nashville is a team that will take whatever option they are given. Meaning, that when there is a chance to play direct and in behind opponents, they will do it. If that opportunity isn’t on, they will look to shift the ball side to side amongst the backline until the opportunity to go forward presents itself. Typically, Nashville shifts to more of a 4-3-3 when keeping possession of the ball. Their outside backs will move up the field in wide areas, while their wingers move more centrally and up into the forward line. This movement allows Nashville to have wide passing options but is also an attempt to “pin” opposing defenders back, so they can’t step into the midfield to defend Hany Mukhtar. Nashville’s system is designed to give Mukhtar the freedom to find the game and threaten the opponents in behind simultaneously. 

Defensively, Nashville defend in a 4-4-2 formation, like they consistently did under Smith. Typically, this features Mukhtar moving up into the forward line to create the front two defensively. While the shape is the same now as it was under Smith, Nashville is much happier to press high up the field than they were before. However, this press isn’t very good. In fact, Nashville is second to last for Passes per Defensive Action (PPDA) in the MLS. This means that their opponents can complete multiple passes before a defensive action is attempted by Nashville. In addition to this mediocre press, Nashville has shown a tendency to struggle defending in transition as well.

How the Crew can win:

This is a great time of year for the Crew to get hot and stay hot. With nine goals in their last two matches and only one against, they have certainly started that process. Nashville presents a great chance for the Crew to gain points at home against an Eastern Conference foe. However, Nashville has historically proven to be difficult opposition for the Black & Gold. There are a few things the Crew must do to gain three points. 

1. Attack with Speed: Under Wilfried Nancy, the Crew are pretty good at this, but I think there will be loads of chances to do this on Wednesday. Nashville looks vulnerable in the moments after they lose the ball as they look to recover their defensive posture. In addition, when the Crew breaks the first line of pressure there will be times when the player in possession can turn and run at an outnumbered backline. Look for the Crew to attack with pace whenever possible Wednesday, especially if Nashville start defending a bit deeper. 
2. Create Turnovers: So much of the conversation around Columbus is about the attack and possession play, and rightly so. However, they are also one of the best defensive teams in the league. In this match, the Crew could create a lot of turnovers in their attacking half. Nashville is loose with the ball at times when circulating it in their own half and often plays low-quality passes or “blind” passes that can easily be picked off. If the Crew are switched on to those passes, they could create a lot of turnovers that lead to dangerous chances. 
3. Find the Free Attackers: Like in most matches, the Crew will have a numerical advantage in the center of the park on Wednesday. When in possession, the Crew needs to find the free player in the midfield to kickstart the attack. Look for this player (usually an attacker) to drop deep and receive a pass before quickly starting the attack with a progressive dribble or pass. The more the Crew finds this player the better.