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Match Recap — Nashville SC

Recap: Nashville SC fall 2-0 to the New York Red Bulls

Mistakes at the back and an inability to finish cost the Boys in Gold their first loss of the season.

,   and  Valair Shabilla
4 min read
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Nashville SC took on the New York Red Bulls at Sports Illustrated Stadium, and just like their other trips to Harrison, NJ, it was not successful.

The Boys in Gold gave up two preventable first half goals, and were unable to find the back of the net. Nonetheless, there were some positives to take from the second half.

The XI

BJ Callaghan stuck with the same lineup from the home opener against the Red Bulls on Saturday. Patrick Yazbek and Gastón Brugman returned to training earlier this week, with Yazbek making the bench and later his season debut as a second-half substitute.

On the pitch

As expected, both teams came out swinging with high pressing and great intensity. The Boys in Gold were able to keep up with the Red Bulls in the early stages, but ultimately an open game only benefits the Red Bulls.

It didn't take long for the New York side to assert their dominance on the pitch and create enough chaos to strike first. A poor giveaway, disorganized defending and some lucky bounces gave Red Bulls the lead in the seventh minute.

Nashville seemed stunned and unable to keep up with the pressure, ultimately giving up a second goal in the 30th minute. This one had less to do with luck and more to do with a brilliant finish. Nashville could have dealt with the situation earlier or defended Emil Forsberg better, but the finish was unstoppable.

The "debutants duo" of Matt Corcoran and Wyatt Meyer were replaced with Ahmed Qasem and Patrick Yazbek in the 58th minute, and the double change provided some new opportunities on the ball. Nashville looked generally better and were able to break pressure and advance into the final third.

Multiple chances were created by the Boys in Gold, raising their xG number to 1.11, but the finishing touch remained missing.

Qasem was a clear standout in his second cameo of the season. His on-the-ball skill and directness in play threatened the Red Bulls on multiple occasions. Eddi Tagseth had another impressive performance, especially in the second half once he was moved to defensive midfielder.

The big picture

Nashville are still early in their process under BJ Callaghan, and they faced a Red Bulls team that made the MLS Cup final just a few months ago. Remaining calm and trusting the plan will be key going forward.

"It took us a little while to get up to that speed, and then I think once we were able to sort of adapt to it, there were some positives to take away," Callaghan said post-match. "And I think as we continue to learn and get better, I think there are opportunities that we can see the team that we're starting to become."

Nashville's young duo of Meyer and Corcoran looked less secure, which shouldn't be a huge surprise considering the opposition. That said, just like Nashville, these players are still developing and aren't yet the final product.

"We've already had conversations in the locker room, it's about keeping momentum that they've [Corcoran and Meyer] had since the preseason," team captain Walker Zimmerman said post-match. "They are not going to be defined by one game. They're not going to be defined by one play."

With Gastón Brugman, Bryan Acosta and Jacob Shaffelburg yet to make their debut, Nashville certainly have room to improve. Also, the season-to-season turnover of staff and players has its growing pains. While the results aren't great, the play is a clear improvement from last season.

Up next

Nashville will be back home to take on the Portland Timber next Saturday at 7:30 pm CT.

Stats

Possession: NSH 54% - 46 % RBNY
Passes completed: NSH 504 - 379 RBNY
Shots: NSH 10 - 12 RBNY
Shots on goal: NSH 2 - 5 RBNY
Penalty kicks: NSH 0 – 0 RBNY
Expected goals: NSH 1.11 - 1.67 RBNY
Goals: NSH 0 - 2 RBNY
Fouls: NSH 17 - 13 RBNY
Yellow cards: NSH 2 - 3 RBNY
Red cards: NSH 0 – 0 RBNY

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