FRISCO, Texas – After picking up its first Major League Soccer win on Wednesday, Nashville Soccer Club expected a tough night on Sunday as FC Dallas looked to get even in the second of three matches between the clubs this season.
The Boys in Gold probably didn’t expect a tough morning, too.
Sunday night’s scoreless draw kicked off in Frisco at 11:07 p.m. CT following a lengthy weather delay and didn’t finish until well past 1 a.m. CT Monday morning. Despite the late start, Nashville SC continued to improve in its fourth MLS match, outshooting Dallas 21-7 and earning its second consecutive clean sheet, stretching its shutout streak to 258 minutes dating back to March 8 in Portland.
Head Coach Gary Smith was happy with his team’s performance to earn four points out of a potential six in the two-match set.
“To turn around as quickly as we did, I thought the guys showed some fantastic endeavor again,” Smith said. “To be perfectly honest, it looked and felt as though we had the clearer chances. I think the shot count was 21 if I’m not mistaken. While possession is something you always expect Dallas to take control of, I felt for the most part they really didn’t hurt us in a lot of long-range efforts. Yet again we keep a clean sheet, and we’ve taken four points from the venue that most teams would look at and say that’s a fabulous return. So I’m very, very pleased with the way the guys have acquitted themselves in such incredibly tough circumstances.”
Sunday’s match also marked milestones for a few Nashville SC players. Defender Alistair Johnston made his first MLS start, while Jalil Anibaba made his first appearance for Nashville SC starting at the back and Taylor Washington made his MLS debut as a late substitute.
Johnston, a 2020 SuperDraft pick out of Wake Forest University, felt comfortable and capable in a starting role and hopes to continue to show the coaching staff that he can contribute consistently for a backline and midfield filled with talent.
“They don’t want to see a roller coaster out of me, they want to see consistent progression,” Johnston said. “So, for me I have kind of taken that as a pretty personal goal that I am trying to kind of accomplish in training, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of it over the past couple weeks and they’ve been great with pointers, tips, helping me take those next steps. It’s made a world of a difference stepping into this match, so I don’t feel out of place, which is a great feeling.”
Sunday night’s late-night match was the culmination of a long week for Nashville SC that featured four flights, two matches and a three-and-a-half hour weather delay. Despite all of that, a team that has played only four matches together took four points in the standings out of a possible six on the road against a perennial playoff contender.
The secret, according to Smith, is in the character of the individuals that make up his locker room and the knowledge that this group can do even better moving forward.
“We have certainly seen that over the last five, six months, you need individuals to prepare to knuckle down, roll their sleeves up at the right time, work hard at the right time and show some respect for others at the right time,” Smith said. “Just generally be good human beings and go about their work in the right fashion. The recruitment that has been put into this group at this point has been spot on. There’s growth to be had, especially in our game and there’s improvements that will come along the way. If you look at the foundations at this point, we’re in a good place.”
Nashville SC visits Atlanta this Saturday for a rematch against Atlanta United at 6 p.m. CT. Tune in on MyTV30, ESPN 94.9 and El Jefe 96.7.
