On Tuesday, Nashville SC will play one of the most important matches in club history, taking on the Philadelphia Union at Geodis Park in the US Open Cup semifinal. For a club who have never won silverware of any kind, they're just two wins away from a potential trophy.
For the latest on their opponent, we caught up with Jonathan Tannenwald, who covers the Union as the chief soccer correspondent for The Philadelphia Enquirer, and is one of the most experienced voices covering soccer in the United States.
Ben Wright
Ben Wright (SixOneFive Soccer): It didn't feel like expectations were incredibly high for the Union heading into the season, certainly not from an outside perspective. What has gone so right for them in Bradley Carnell's first year in charge?
Jonathan Tannenwald (The Philadelphia Inquirer): It's easy to say with hindsight – though then again, they just lost 7-0 to Vancouver – but I think things had gotten a bit stale at the end of last year. Bradley Carnell brought in a fresh voice and a few tactical tweaks, in particular to the 4-2-2-2 midfield, that have served them well. He also is much more consistent about using all his substitutions than Jim Curtin was.
