After what seems like an eternity, Nashville SC finally got to play it’s first match since March 8th against (MLS is Back Tournament winners) Portland Timbers. The Boys in Gold were able to come away with a 1-0 victory thanks to some late heroics from David Accam. A historic night for the club, earning their first three MLS points.
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 – 8.1: Whatcha talking about, Willis? We’re talking about this was easily his best performance since arriving in Nashville. Willis was in the right spots and read crosses well, as well as came through with a few clutch saves.
Daniel Lovitz – 6.8: Decent outing from Lovitz, although he picked up a careless yellow card. Did whip in a few good crosses from the flanks, including one that Rios just barely missed.
Walker Zimmerman – 8: Even after a long layoff, Zimmerman once again put in a MOTM quality performance in the back. Not only did he have a crucial blocked shot late in the match, but he also had a few threatening long balls from out of the back.
Dave Romney – 7: Romney’s first three matches have all been solid. He gets himself in the right positions and blocks off the passing lanes. He did get a yellow card, however, which knocks his rating down a few pegs.
Brayan Beckeles – 6.1: Beckeles started in place of Eric Miller and provided a bit more pace, but still looked vulnerable. Dallas clearly wanted to focus their attacking efforts through his flank, and the Honduran international was shown a yellow. The right back position continues to be a potential concern for Nashville.
Dax McCarthy – 7.7: McCarthy provided the assist that sprung Accam free for his goal, but he also controlled the middle of the park with some key tackles.
Anibal Godoy – 7.8: Despite his role as a holding midfielder, Godoy did have a few chances drifting forward. One of those is going to fall.
Derrick Jones – 6.3: Derrick Jones had been mentioned by us as a potential 10 at the beginning of the season. However, his distribution and pace on the dribble were a bit lacking for this particular match. I’m sure he’ll get another crack at the position, but for now, that spot should belong to Hany Muhktar. Speaking of…..
Hany Muhktar – 7: Muhktar started the match out wide but gradually shifted towards his natural position in the middle. He showed signs of fatigue early, but then became acclimated to the match as he pivoted towards the middle, including an almost box-to-box run early in the first half.
Randall Leal – 6.8: Leal had his eyes set on goal this match. He had a few exciting chances, but also had some opportunities to lay off the ball to open teammates who had better looks on goal. Still, he’s an integral part of the attacking third and will get one eventually.
Daniel Rios – 5.8: This was Rios’ first true MLS start, and he seemed a bit out of place. However, you have to believe better days could be ahead for him, as it was his first start after a long layoff. Let’s give him a few more starts before we hit the panic button.
SUBS
Abu Danladi – 6.2: Came on to help bring some speed to the side, but didn’t record any real quality chances.
Alistar Johnston – 6.6: Ben Wright mentioned Johnston as one of his players to watch for this match, and the former Demon Deacon made his debut for the Boys in Gold, putting in an impressive shift. Perhaps he’ll crack the starting 11 soon?
Dominique Badji – 6.1: Another guy that was brought on for a change of pace, Badji did little to impact the match in the late stages.
Matt LaGrassa – 6: Didn’t do much, but great to see LaGrassa come on for Nashville after being such a loyal servant during the USL years.
David Accam – 7.7: What a great way to earn your first goal for Nashville SC. Accam came on and made a great run down the flank, cutting inside and taking a chance with a low shot. Although he got a slight deflection in his favor, that should not dismiss his initial run with the ball that created the goal.
MANAGER
Steve Guppy – 7.5: Guppy stepped in as acting manager due to Gary Smith’s test results taking too long to return, preventing him from making the trip to Dallas. Although his initial lineup was unable to produce any threatening chances early on, he made the necessary adjustments to bring on some more dynamic pieces, including the sub with the game-winner.
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!
