Nashville SC are back in action in four days, returning to play after the World Cup break against Atlanta United on Friday night.
As part of their subscription, our SixOneFive Soccer subscribers are able to participate in our mailbag segments, submitting their questions in our Discord channel for our staff to answer.
Want to participate in the future? We're running a 30% off sale for new memberships to celebrate MLS's return to play. You'll get access to all our content, depth charts, and roster-building information, as well as our vibrant Discord community!
Nashville SC and Major League Soccer are back in action, and we're here to cover it all in-depth. Sign up for a new annual membership and save 30% on your first year!
Let's dive into the questions.
Jon: Do you expect any summer transfer moves?
Ben: Yes! Nashville don't have any prime roster (Designated Player or U22) spots open to use this summer, but they have a decent amount of cap space with which to work. I think they'll make a couple of signings to give their roster a boost as they push for silverware this fall.
I also wouldn't be totally shocked if they open a U22 spot by signing Patrick Yazbek to a new deal. His current deal runs through 2027, with an additional option for 2028, and he only hits the cap at $200k. But he's only making $531k a season, and his performances have deserved a pay raise. That's just speculation on my end, but it's a possibility.
Nashville will certainly be adding an international roster spot. They traded one to the LA Galaxy in February that will revert back to them on the opening day of the secondary transfer window (today). They could also add more if any of their current international players end up getting green cards.
CodyNeth: What positions do you believe that we go after to strengthen the squad this summer?
Ben: Fortunately, I wrote an entire story on this exact topic!
Ben Wright
Josh H: I still wonder about our slump at the end of the last season. The World Cup break should hopefully help, but I'm curious what insights there were to the end of the last season. And if our playing style is sustainable for a full season, and if we're in a better position to prevent that decline this season?
Ben: I think a lot of it comes down to squad depth. Last season, Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, Jack Maher, Andy Nájar, and several others all hit career highs for minutes played. Similarly to their 2023 Leagues Cup run, I think they were gassed.
I'm not as worried about this year, for a few reasons. For starters, this roster is deeper, and we've already seen them be able to weather the most congested and difficult portion of the season. Normally, Concacaf Champions Cup is when teams really struggle. Nashville breezed through this portion of the year in the best form of any team in the league, and while the second half of the year will be packed, it's not going to be more congested than what they've already played.
I also think the 55-day break is going to be crucial for this team. I'm incredibly high on BJ Callaghan as a coach, and giving him a "second preseason" in the middle of the year to fine-tune details for a trophy push is a huge boost to this team. I think they're in great position down the stretch.
Jared: Do you think the break will help, hinder, or be neutral to the development of some of the younger players like Corcoran, Madrigal, etc.?
Ben: I think it will help, for sure. They might see their playing time dip in the second half, with players like Eddi Tagseth and Sam Surridge returning to health, but I think the ability to really work on the details over the break will benefit them in the long term.
Jmaul3: If you could sign any one player (in their prime) from recent history, say, 50 years to play with this season’s NSC squad..who would it be?
Ben: I'd drop Zinedine Zidane into basically any team out of curiosity. For this team, though? I'd love to see them with Rodri in midfield. They need a No. 6, and he's the perfect mix of defensive solidity and passing range. He'd make any team in the world better, but this Nashville team specifically would be incredible.
ThomasP615: How has the academy system and US youth national teams progressed since 2018, is there reason to believe there’s a talent pipeline that makes USMNT a repeated visitor to the Round of 16?
Ben: I think the big thing is that the US academy system is more advanced. Remember, MLS didn't make their academies free to play until 2007-2011. We're only now into the second and third waves of kids who have come through the system, and now MLS NEXT Pro is serving as a bridge between the academy and first team. The word "pipeline" can get thrown around haphazardly, but there's a real pipeline now.
Add to that the fact that our scouting and coaching infrastructure is getting better, and I really think you'll start seeing better products come through the academy system more frequently. Zavier Gozo, Julian Hall, and Adri Mehmetis are going to become more frequent. I'm really optimistic about the next several cycles because of that.
The big issue, though, is size. There are 30 MLS clubs right now covering 20 states and Washington, DC. That means that 28 states (I'm including Virginia and Maryland with DC) don't have MLS clubs.
The USL pyramid is doing a good job filling the gaps, and they're doing a fantastic job with youth development on their own, but the sheer size of the United States makes it incredibly difficult – impossible, even – to have this level of academy available everywhere. Talented kids are going to fall through the cracks in ways that they simply don't in Belgium, England, Netherlands, France, Spain, or any of the elite talent-producing nations around the world.
So, tldr; I think we're getting a lot better, and future generations of the USMNT are going to keep getting better. We still have a lot to figure out, though.
Jared: Obviously, BJ Callaghan's name continues to be floated around for the next cycle for the USMNT position. But is this next cycle for the USMNT appealing?
Ben: The USMNT job is always appealing. It's one that I don't think 99% of American coaches would ever turn down.
I have no idea where US Soccer goes with this next hire. You can't rule out Mauricio Pochettino returning. If he doesn't, they could certainly go for another big name for the role. Pep Guardiola does have a condo in New York...
I don't know what will happen with Callaghan. In my opinion, he's one of the four or five best Americans coaching right now, and is certainly worth consideration. But the job is always appealing.
nsc-spence: What strategic or tactical weaknesses do BJ and the boys need to address in order to win (a) Leagues Cup, (b) MLS Cup, and (c) The Supporters’ Shield? If you were advising BJ, what guidance would you provide for addressing those weaknesses?
Ben: Is it cheating to say I don't think they have any glaring weaknesses?
I don't know how heavily they'll emphasize Leagues Cup. I don't think they'll mail it in, but it's a good time to give new signings minutes and bed them into the squad. They're on top of the Supporters' Shield race, and that will absolutely be the main focus.
I know there's some debate about if winning the Shield actually helps this team win MLS Cup, or if it's some kind of curse. My 2¢ is that the Shield guarantees home-field advantage all the way through the playoffs, which is the single best advantage towards winning MLS Cup. They should absolutely go for it.
If we're going to nitpick the first part of the season, their chance creation dipped down the stretch. They maintained a really high points-per-game threshold, so it's certainly not disastrous, but these numbers probably aren't sustainable for 20 more matches.
Getting Surridge back and healthy will help a lot, but I hope they've been fine-tuning their decision-making in the final third over the break; if they can consistently pick out the right final ball, they'll be in great shape.
