Nashville SC is one of the top four teams in the semi-final 2023 Leagues Cup and will seek their spot in the final against CF Monterrey this Tuesday at GEODIS Park. The MLS team has an interesting aspect: it's one of the teams that scored the most goals but doesn't have any players among the top scorers. In this article, the key to their goal-scoring strategy against the Mexican team is discussed.
"The Music" will play at home against CF Monterrey, a team that has never lost to an MLS team in direct elimination matches. Nashville SC aims to break that statistic through collective gameplay and finding an advantage based on a strategy that appears to be effective thus far.
Throughout the five matches, Nashville SC has scored a total of 13 goals. They won 2-1 against the Colorado Rapids with goals from Hany Mukhtaz (57') and Jacob Shaffelburg (65'), and they lost 4-3 to Toluca FC with goals from Walker Zimmerman (3'), Fafá Picault (37'), and Luke Haakenson (70').
In the Round of 32, they drew 1-1 against FC Cincinnati with a goal from Aníbal Godoy (64'), and then secured victory in the penalty shootout. In the Round of 16, they drew 2-2 against SC Club América with goals from Walker Zimmerman (61') and Sam Surridge (90'+9'), and once again emerged victorious in the penalty shootout.
Their most decisive victory came in the Quarter-Finals, where they defeated Minnesota United FC 5-0 with goals from Simon Moore (39'), Teal Bunbury (44'), Alex Muyl (50'), Sam Surridge (53'), and Hany Mukhtar (59').
Thus, out of the four teams still in the competition, Nashville SC is the second-highest scorer with 13 goals. Ahead of them is Inter Miami CF with 17 goals, followed by CF Monterrey with 12 goals, and Philadelphia Union with 11.
What's noteworthy is that the goals are spread among ten different players: only Walker Zimmerman, Sam Surridge, and Hany Mukhtar have scored two goals each across five matches. This highlights a strategy of collective play without a dominant top scorer, where any Nashville SC player who ventures into the attacking zone can become a scorer.
