Welcome to the second edition of The Postcard, where I answer your questions on Nashville SC, MLS and whatever else you want to talk about.
As always, thanks for sending in your questions.. Follow me on Twitter @benwright so you can get your questions in for the next round. Let’s keep this going!
Are we living in an oddly specific hell where all we get to do is talk about Nashville soccer hypothetically while never actually seeing them take the field?
— Chris Hoal (@ChrisHoal) August 6, 2020
Also, besides Daniel Rios, who is the player you most want to see start who has not yet started for NSC?
I get the feeling. It’s been 152 days since Nashville lost 1-0 in Portland, and it feels like even longer. Thankfully, though, it looks liek the wait is almost over. I reported earlier this week that Nashville will play FC Dallas next Wednesday and Sunday to make up two of their missed group matches.
Aside from Daniel Ríos, there are a couple players I’m excited to see. Jimmy Medranda looked really good when he came on against Portland, and he’s been one of my favorite players to watch in MLS for a couple years. He’d be an interesting start on the right wing. I’m also really excited to see how Derrick Jones can fit into this side in MLS.
Why do you hate Nashville? Lol jk
— Travis ? (@TdpNSC) August 7, 2020
Real Question: Does Nashville make another signing (can be any position) for the return to play?
*eye roll dot gif*
They have two open spots on their senior roster and are definitely interested in a couple players. I imagine we’ll see a signing or two, but whether that’s the long hyped DP number nine remains to be seen. They are pursuing options at striker, but also think Ríos has the potential to be the guy up front. Don’t be surprised if they go for a loan move with a purchase option to a) give the player a trial run before dropping a ton of cash on him, and b) to see if Ríos can earn the job.
Given how this season has gone, do you expect a recognizable name from Europe to be linked with NSC? Maybe not actually pursued, but associated to get back in the news?
— John Mueller (@jmueller8332) August 6, 2020
We could do with generating some buzz. #ThePostcardBroadway
The type of names you’ve seen linked (Aké Loba, Maxi Romero, Djordje Despotović) are the types of players Nashville are interested in. The club has been pretty open that they think putting a winning product on the field will generate more buzz than signing a big-name player just for the name.
That’s not to say that they’ll never sign a recognizable name from Europe, but it would have to be the right fit. It’s a big ask. They’re more likely to sign a younger player with sell-on potential, and to me, that’s the wiser move.
any details on tv broadcast? Will I be watching this on @TUDNLive
— Daniel Ryan (@Nashtrill) August 6, 2020
None yet. Those should be announced soon, likely simultaneously with the official announcement of the matches. That’s just a guess on my part, though.
NSC announced Fox17, MyTV30 and CW58 as their television partners during the coronavirus break. The games will almost certainly be shown locally on one of those. As the first game of the new regular season, MLS could go for a national TV spot. I wouldn’t worry too much about being able to watch.
Has anyone asked straight up "y'all know the longer you do this the longer we're in pandemic limbo right?"
— Prairie Rose Clayton? (@hoover_dam) August 6, 2020
Yeah, fans in attendance for the Dallas games seems… crazy. I’m not a doctor, but I think we’ve seen from leagues around the world that games in empty stadiums with proper protocols and lots of testing can work. But even those countries, who are in a much better place with the virus than us, aren’t allowing fans, and won’t for several more months at least. I understand that MLS makes a large portion of their revenue from ticket sales. But allowing fans is a big mistake, in my opinion.
Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! This was a lot of fun. Let’s keep doing it. Keep sending your questions in the comments, on Twitter using the hashtag #ThePostcardBroadway, or via email at benwrightsoccer@gmail.com. And be on the lookout for more Nashville SC news coming out soon.
