Previewing Houston Dynamo at Nashville SC with SixOneFive Soccer
(Image via Christina Moore-SixOneFive Soccer)
The Houston Dynamo are on the road looking for points in their playoff push. We talked to our friend Ben Wright from SixOneFive Soccer to get some insight on Austin FC ahead of the match.
Bayou City Soccer (BCS): Nashville advanced to the USOC final but has struggled some in MLS, falling from atop the table. What has changed from the success Nashville saw over the summer months?
SixOneFive Soccer (615): To be honest, I don't think a ton has changed in their performances, but they've been pretty unlucky. They've earned just three points since July 25, the worst in MLS. But their expected points, per American Soccer Analysis, are 10.49, the 12th-best in MLS. If they had managed a pretty reasonable 10 points from their last seven games, they'd be on 57 points and just three points off the Supporters' Shield lead, about where they'd been at the start of this poor run of form. They went to Cincinnati and Orlando, two MLS Cup contenders, and were level in second-half stoppage time before conceding late winners. They haven't been that far off, and I'm not super concerned about them long-term.
BCS: BJ Callaghan has built this Nashville side into a trophy contender. What has been the key to the way Callaghan plays and has built this team?
615: They're very rigid defensively, like Nashville have always been. They've conceded the ninth-fewest goals in MLS and are tied with Austin for the best defensive record at home. That piece hasn't changed. What has changed is... everything else. They don't sit in a passive low block, but play a fairly high line and use an organized press out of the midblock. They have clear rotations and patterns of play, and are much more methodical when trying to break teams down. They don't just lump crosses in, but are much more patient in how they approach possession. It's made them much more protagonistic when they play.
BCS: Sam Surridge is battling for the Golden Boot this season. What makes him such a lethal striker in this Nashville system?
615: To be fair to Surridge, he was pretty good last year in a really bad attack. He scored 12 goals, despite having little to no service to work with. Now that Nashville are creating chances regularly (they've logged the third-most expected goals in MLS this year), he's the main beneficiary. He's not always involved in buildup (he can be when needed), but he's been excellent at crashing the box and finishing passing moves off. It's been a career year for Surridge, and in a lot of ways he's exemplified the turnaround from the whole team this year.
BCS: Former Dynamo Joe Willis is still Nashville’s goalkeeper. How has Willis been so successful with the club and with the defense Nashville has?
615: He's been a reliable shot-stopper since joining Nashville. He's not one of the most standout 'keepers in MLS, but he does the job when called on and certainly has played a big role in organizing the backline. This year, he's taken a major step forward with his distribution. BJ Callaghan really emphasizes maintaining possession, keeping the ball on the ground and playing short in buildup from the goalkeeper. That's put a lot of new pressure on Willis, and he's really stepped up. He's grown in confidence this year with the ball at his feet, often waiting for the forwards to begin pressure to release the ball into the space behind them, and a lot of Nashville's possession sequences start with him. He's 37, but still looks capable of playing at a high level for a while still.
BCS: Are there any injury concerns for Nashville heading into this match and what do you expect to see for the lineup?
615: Yeah, several injury concerns. Walker Zimmerman missed the Open Cup semifinal and last weekend's game with a knee issue. We'll know more about him shortly, but he's apparently day to day. Wingers Jonny Perez and Ahmed Qasem have both picked up knocks, and it's still tbd if they'll be available. That adds to long-term injuries already to Taylor Washington, Wyatt Meyer and Julian Gaines.
I expect to see Nashville use their typical 4-2-2-2 formation (L-R): Willis; Lovitz, Maher, Palacios, Najar; Brugman, Yazbek; Muyl, Shaffelburg; Surridge, Mukhtar
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We want to thank Ben for his time and wish our friends in Nashville the best of luck tonight.
