Opposition scouting report: Nashville SC

The Seattle Sounders will host Nashville SC on Saturday. To help us understand what they have in store, we reached out to Ben Wright of Six One Five Soccer.

Notable injuries

Walker Zimmerman is still recovering from a concussion (will hopefully get an update on Thursday). Bryan Acosta has missed the full season so far, but is back in training and close to returning. Similarly, Julian Gaines picked up an injury and is close to returning. Tyler Boyd and Maximus Ekk are both recovering from torn ACLs and are still several weeks away.

Team form

Nashville have been really good this season. After winning three consecutive matches, they lost to Cincinnati and Charlotte, conceding last-minute winners in both after probably deserving the win on the balance of play. They were similarly good against Real Salt Lake last weekend, and while they needed a stoppage-time penalty kick to win, they created enough chances to win three or four to one.

Key players

Hany Mukhtar is still the most important player to this team. He's still trying to regain his form, but has done a good job progressing the ball from open play, even if he's struggled to finish. Ahmed Qasem has become a crucial piece of the team after joining as a U22 Initiative signing this offseason. Eddi Tagseth and Gaston Brugman have been huge in midfield, with Tagseth especially becoming a fan favorite. He's run the second-most miles in MLS this season and is also really good with the ball at his feet. Lastly, Dan Lovitz and Andy Najar are playing a crucial role in the attack from the fullback spots.

One thing to know

This is a very, very different Nashville than what we've seen before. BJ Callaghan has completely changed their approach – they now look to possess the ball, and can actually break teams down from buildup. They press really high and aren't afraid to take risks in the final third because of their aggressive counterpress, and have moved away from crossing as their primary method of chance creation. They're still solid defensively, but they actually play proactive, beautiful soccer. It's a 180-degree shift from their initial approach.

Projected lineup

(4-2-2-2, L-R) - Joe Willis; Dan Lovitz, Jack Maher, Jeisson Palacios, Andy Najar; Eddi Tagseth, Gaston Brugman; Alex Muyl, Ahmed Qasem; Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar