Nashville SC concluded it’s phase one round of MLS matches with a explosion of goals, defeating Atlanta United 4-2.
Below are our player ratings for the match.
Each member of the Speedway Soccer crew gives each player that saw the pitch a rating based on their match performance. Below is a quick guideline of our evaluation process.
- A rating of 6 denotes and average performance. Each player starts out with a 6 and their performance either adds or subtracts from that rating.
- Scores are determined after re-watching the match and looking at the stats, and are the averaged total of each Speedway member’s ratings
Joe Willis – 7.3: Got caught off guard on the two goals, but still put in a good shift.
Daniel Lovitz – 7.5: With Atlanta pressing up so high, it was a prime opportunity for Lovitz to play some balls over the top to the runners. He did that a few times, and did provide a wonderful cross on the left side to set up Dax McCarty’s header.
Walker Zimmerman – 7.5: Had a few key blocks in the match, and also kept Ezequiel in check for the most part, who was playing as a 10. Also had a great chance on a header late in the match that was cleared off the line.
Dave Romney – 7.3: Did well to deal a late chance from Atlanta that deflected off Willis. His service from the backline to the midfield and wings was excellent as always.
Alistar Johnston – 7: Relatively quiet match for Johnston, but still was solid in his defensive role.
Dax McCarty (Off 86′) – 9.5: What a performance from the captain, having a hand (or head) in every goal. Perhaps the most impressive of his assists was the ball over the top to Danladi.
Anibal Godoy – 7.8: Was strong in the midfield and worked hard to with his tackles like always. Him and McCarty seemed to be pressing up high when Atlanta was on the ball to make them uncomfortable.
Alex Muyl (Off 63′) – 7.3: Muyl wasn’t as active on the offensive side as he has been in the previous matches, but still had some good spells on the flank with the ball.
Hany Mukhtar (Off 73′) – 9: Mukhtar finally secured his first goal, collecting the ball from Badji’s flicked header and slotting it home with ease. Additionally, he was excellent in controlling the run of play for Nashville, finding teammates left and right. An encouraging sign that he might finally be acclimated to MLS’ style of play.
Abu Danladi (Off 61′) – 8: Made a fantastic run on his goal that was set up well by McCarty’s ball over the top. Had a few errant crosses, but is willing to take on defenders.
Dominique Badji (Off 73′) – 8.5: By far Badji’s best match for Nashville. The target man looked very lively with his runs, and was a constant threat to bag another goal after his first, which was essentially a tap-in.
Subs
Alan Winn (On 61′) – 7.5: Winn’s first appearance since February, and the former North Carolina Tarheel and USL staple was not afraid to go at the Atlanta defense with his dribbling once he entered the fray.
Taylor Washington (On 61′) – 7: Came on as defensive cover for Nashville and performed well.
Daniel RÃos (On 73′) – 6.5: Put the pressure on the Atlanta backline after coming in for relief for Badji. Even had a few shots that were threatening.
Derrick Jones (On 73′) – 6.5: Took the spot of Mukhtar as the top for the final “quarter” of the match. Had some good runs with the ball at his feet that lacked the proper service, but the game was also well in had by the time he arrived.
Brian Anunga (On 86′) – 6.5: Came on as a late sub to help secure the midfield and victory.
Manager
Gary Smith – 8.5: Far and away the best offensive outing from Smith’s side in their first MLS tenure. The side was passing fluidly and was able to hit Atlanta over the top on a few instances, and also made the five stripes really uncomfortable with their constant pressure. Now, Atlanta has been reeling lately, but with the arrival of Jhonder Cadiz imminent and the Boys in Gold now in the playoff hunt, this is quite the encouraging result heading in to the phase two slate of matches.
What say you? Do you agree or disagree with our match ratings? Feel free to reach out to us on Twitter and let us know your thoughts!
