We’re continuing our Nashville SC report cards with a look at winger Alan Winn.
Position: Winger
Matches played: 7
Minutes played: 280
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Goals added: -0.48 (110th among MLS wingers)
xG+xA: 0.21 (114th among MLS wingers)
Average Speedway Soccer rating: 6.9
Average WhoScored rating: 6.2
What went right in 2020?
Another player signed from Nashville’s USL side, Winn came into the year with expectations that he could be a real contributor at the MLS level. He seemed to be on the right track in their MLS debut, coming off the bench for an electric cameo, in which he looked absolutely lethal on the dribble.
After that he played consistently for a stretch in mid-September, coming off the bench regularly and making two starts.
What went wrong in 2020?
Overall it was a really disappointing year for Winn. He showed flashes of potential, but was never able to turn it into anything more. His appearance in the home opener was followed by eight matches completely out of the matchday squad, and he didn’t make the bench for the final nine matches of the season.
His few minutes on the field had the occasional bright moment, but he struggled to stand out, and had a really poor miss in Nashville’s draw with Minnesota.
Winn also stood out for his decision not to kneel for the national anthem. I’m not going to criticize him for a decision that is probably more nuanced than much of the public discussion surrounding it, but it definitely was a departure from Nashville’s otherwise unified stance on the issue.
Winn struggled with consistency at times in USL, but his talent was always enough to get him on the field. He unfortunately couldn’t translate that to MLS, and Nashville did not bring him back for a second season.
What needs to improve in 2021?
Winn has plenty of talent. He’s an elite USL player, and should have plenty of interest from the second division. There’s also the chance that an MLS team takes a chance on him, but it seems more likely that he drops down a division for a couple seasons to continue his development. Still just 24, he has time left before he hits his peak.
Most memorable moment
Winn absolutely shredded Atlanta’s full-backs a couple times in his MLS debut. It’s unfortunate that the rest of the season didn’t live up to that.
2020 Grade: D+
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