NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville S.C. returned to the training ground Monday as it begins preparations for the second half of the MLS season once the World Cup break concludes.
Nashville currently leads the league’s Supporters’ Shield Standings with 33 points in 14 league matches, one point better than both Vancouver and San Jose. The Boys in Gold have lost just one league match all season and entered the break with three straight league wins.
Star midfielder Hany Mukhtar looked like a former MVP, scoring six goals and chipping in five assists while the team played without star attacker Sam Surridge for several matches. Mukhtar will be making his fifth All-Star appearance, while defender Andy Najar makes the trip for the second straight season. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake has been one of the league’s revelations in his first season as a full-time starter, leading MLS with 10 wins and recording six clean sheets.
Nashville Head Coach B.J. Callaghan credits those stars and the team’s depth for their impressive start to the season, which included a run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals before losing to Tigres UANL.
“I think we came in (to the season) with really clear ideas on what we wanted to improve and some of the things we wanted to do coming off of last year’s U.S. Open Cup win,” Callaghan told Newschannel 5’s Steve Layman. “And you never sort of have these expectations of how quick it will gel, but we really thought that if we could execute at a high level and really kind of build this mentality of this team, that we could have a successful season. And I think in this beginning part, a lot of those things are coming together and a lot of contributions from a lot of different players.”
Callaghan says that Surridge and midfielder Eddi Tagseth should return to training with the team while Najar and Patrick Yazbek will take a little bit more time with their injuries, perhaps pushing the team’s return to play on July 17 against rival Atlanta United.
A former U.S. Men’s National Team assistant coach, Callaghan has also taken a keen interest in the World Cup. He walked away impressed with the team’s 4-1 opening victory over Paraguay.
“I think in recent, modern history that’s probably one of the best performances we’ve seen from the U.S.,” Callaghan said. “Especially with all the context around it. A homefield of 70,000 people, you know, there’s always this expectation that maybe there is a little bit of nerves and kind of the pressure, but I thought the team performed really well. Aggressive, attacking, a complete performance, and they were rewarded with four goals.”
The U.S. will face challenges against Australia’s defense in Friday’s match in Seattle, Callaghan said. A win in that match would likely clinch the group for the Americans, but a draw or tie would put the pressure on for the third match against Türkiye on June 25.
Callaghan believes this team can win the group and advance in the knockout round with the tournament on home soil, with the excitement over record crowds and TV viewership. Unlike past American teams that were most known for their athleticism and grit, this team has shown a new level of skill and the ability to attack offensively in ways that they have not been able to do in the past.
“(They were) positioned to be an attacking style,” Callaghan said. “I thought the positions the players took up – Tillman, Pulusic, Balo(gun) – you know, really put them in the best situations to make an impact. And then credit the players at the end of the day. They make the plays, and I thought, at the end of the day, they made a really strong performance.”
You can watch Steve Layman’s full segment with Callaghan from the Local Power Companies of Middle Tennessee’s Sunday Sports Central in the video player above.
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