Nashville SC defeated USL Championship club Birmingham Legion FC 3-2 on Wednesday in its fourth preseason game and first game at Geodis Park of 2024.
Though Nashville's three preseason matches in Florida were closed to the public, Wednesday's game was open to media and season-ticket holders. The game consisted of two 45-minute halves plus a 30-minute period of extra time.
Sam Surridge scored Nashville's first two goals, the first coming in the 31st minute. He headed a cross from Taylor Washington off the crossbar, but VAR ruled the ball had crossed the line. In the second half, after consecutive Birmingham goals, Surridge took advantage and scored when goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel dropped the ball in front of the goal.
A trialist scored Nashville's third and final goal in the final minute of the second half.
Nashville improved to 2-1-1 this preseason, with one match left, Feb. 15 at Geodis Park against Memphis 901 FC, before the start of the regular season .
Playing a team from the second tier of American soccer, rather than the MLS opponents it faced in Florida, meant Nashville spent most of the afternoon playing on the front foot.
Nashville had the majority of possession, playing an attacking formation with wingers Jacob Shaffelburg and Tyler Boyd and fullbacks Washington and Shaq Moore pushing up the field. Shaffelburg, Boyd, Washington and Moore supplied a slew of crosses in the direction of Surridge and Hany Mukhtar while Nashville attempted to press without the ball.
"Some really nice possession and some great opportunities created," Nashville SC coach Gary Smith said. "Certainly a step in the right direction with the ball. Some great pressure.
"There was no lack of energy to go and press the ball, then recovery to tighten up those lines and then go again. It looked more organized."
Smith hopes that facing two USL teams to cap off the preseason can prepare Nashville for the challenge that Dominican side Moca FC will bring in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup , which begins Feb. 22 at Moca, Dominican Republic.
'I'm wondering if the two games might be fairly similar," Smith said. "You get a side that are trying to raise their game in Birmingham — and did a very, very good job, by the way. Tough group to break down, which I'm imagining the team we'll play against in the Dominican will be."
Smith was a "tad concerned" about the way in which Nashville coughed up its early lead to fall behind 2-1.
Late in the first half, Mohamed Buya Turay took a long shot from the left side that Joe Willis attempted to block. Instead, the Nashville goalkeeper couldn't hold on to the ball and was helpless as it slipped behind him and into the net. In the 60th minute, Nashville was caught on the break and Tyler Pasher slotted a goal past Willis as Nashville couldn't get enough defenders back in time.
"That does sometimes happen in preseason," Smith said. "Mistakes are made, and if there are going to be mistakes made, it's a good time to make them."
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Smith confirmed that midfielder Randall Leal hurt his hamstring in training with the Costa Rica national team two weeks ago. Leal left Nashville's camp to join Costa Rica, but returned to Nashville after suffering the injury.
Leal is expected to miss four to six weeks, Smith said. It's a brutal blow for Leal, who missed multiple months at the beginning of last season due to a hamstring injury and started just 15 games.
"It's fairly substantial," Smith said. "Unfortunately, it's a process that the player has to work through. He's seen it before, he understands the recovery that's needed and the way he needs to conduct himself in the period of inactivity."
Smith described defenders Walker Zimmerman and Daniel Lovitz, the only two regulars yet to appear this preseason, as "not a million miles away" from being fit enough for game action. Smith expects Lovitz to be training with the first team on Friday, and both he and Zimmerman will have a chance to play next Thursday, Zimmerman less so.
"It might be a push to see him in the Memphis game," Smith said of Zimmerman. "We may actually see some minutes there. Even if we don't, there's certainly some thoughts in my mind to get him some behind-closed-doors competitive work so that he's not far away from the Dominican start."
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC beats Birmingham Legion in preseason match
