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Nashville SC beats Sporting Kansas City for first preseason win, Hany Mukhtar sits out again
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- Nashville SC beats Sporting Kansas City for first preseason win, Hany Mukhtar sits out again
Nashville SC beat Sporting Kansas City , 2-1, in a closed-door friendly match Tuesday afternoon in West Palm Beach, Florida, the second match of Nashville's 2024 preseason.
Nashville fielded a similar lineup to their 2-2 draw with St. Louis City SC on Friday in Port St. Lucie, playing a mix of projected regulars and reserves with all 11 starters substituted at or shortly after halftime.
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New additions Tyler Boyd and McKinze Gaines contributed to a ninth-minute goal by Jacob Shaffelburg — a header which took a deflection off a Kansas City defender — but Kansas City tied the game five minutes later. Boyd found the net himself in the 53rd minute, heading in a Shaffelburg cross which bounced around in the box.
Hany Mukhtar , Walker Zimmerman , Daniel Lovitz sit out again
Three of Nashville's key players — forward Hany Mukhtar, defender Walker Zimmerman and defender Daniel Lovitz — sat out for a second straight game, while midfielder Randall Leal and forward Teal Bunbury did not play against Kansas City after each playing 45 minutes on Friday.
Mukhtar, Zimmerman and Lovitz's absences have been fitness-related. Nashville coach Gary Smith is hopeful Mukhtar, the 2022 MLS MVP, can get some playing time in the team's final match in Florida, Friday morning against Toronto FC .
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"I'd certainly like, for his own fitness and preparation, for him to be grabbing some minutes on Friday, but we'll see," Smith said about Mukhtar. "He's certainly in a better position at this point in the week than he was at the same point last week. Making sure that he's physically capable."
Defender Shaq Moore , who sat out against St. Louis, started Tuesday's game, while midfielder Anibal Godoy came in midway through the second half after also not playing Friday.
Wide areas a strength for Nashville
Nashville SC forward Jacob Shaffelburg (14) kicks past Minnesota United defender Zarek Valentin (3) during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal game at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.
Against St. Louis, Shaffelburg scored Nashville's first goal and Boyd assisted Gaines on Nashville's second. The trio excelled once again Tuesday.
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Due to Gaines' impressive showing on Friday, Smith opted to move Boyd into a No. 10 role playing behind the striker, a role Mukhtar typically fills. Gaines and Shaffelburg lined up on the wings, ahead of Boyd and outside Sam Surridge .
"That gave us, as you might imagine, quite an athletic threat," Smith said. "Some good width, and an opportunity to gain some connections in those wide areas."
Smith said he "couldn't be happier" with Boyd, who Nashville picked up in a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy in December, describing him as very intelligent and versatile. He also thinks Gaines, who came in a trade from Charlotte FC, will continue to be a threat. In addition to his assist Tuesday, Gaines had a pair of 1-on-1 chances that were stopped.
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Smith said Nashville's preseason training is being done with an eye on a packed early schedule, including its first CONCACAF Champions Cup match at Dominican club Moca FC on Feb. 22.
Nashville's next two matches — against Toronto and at Geodis Park against USL Championship squad Birmingham Legion FC on Feb. 7 — will be 120 minutes each, in order to get as many minutes for as many players as possible. Smith called them "competitive training games."
"We're going to need a group of players," Smith said. "I'm balancing the minutes and I want to make sure as many of these players are clear and concise in what we're trying to achieve and happy in the environment they're working."
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By contrast, Nashville's final preseason match, against Memphis 901 FC at Geodis Park on Feb. 15, will be more of a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Smith said that the lineup Nashville comes out with against Memphis will likely be very similar to the one they unveil in the Dominican Republic.
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 wins MLS preseason match against Sporting Kansas City
