SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC v. NASHVILLE SC

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. Nashville make the trip to The Evergreen for a Saturday matinée against our beloved Sounders in a test of mettle, nerve, and skill. We’ve never beaten this lot…and that sticks in my craw.

What: MLS league match, Seattle Sounders FC v. Nashville SC.

Where: Royal Brougham Park, Occidental Avenue, Seattle, Washington.

When: 4:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Saturday 19 April 2025 CE.

At Stake: Points in the league. Sounders are currently in 22nd place in the MLS league table on 9 points. A victory could put us level with the likes of LAFC (@POR), Orlando (@MTL), Chicago (CIN), and the Red Donkeys (DC)………provided none of them earn a point this weekend.

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. If the KJR simulcast is available in the control layer of Apple TV, I’ll think I’ll select alternate audio and listen to Zaku and that lot.

Where to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM.

I dislike Nashville. You dislike Nashville. We’ve never beaten them. It’s intolerable. Time to chuff up the lads so we can take those bragging rights straight away from them.

Turn up. Whether it’s at a viewing party with ours, or at your local, or preferably at the ground with thousands of your mates and fellow supporters, make yourself present and be heard. Loudly.

It’s Saturday afternoon football at Royal Brougham Park. Let’s put this lot to the sword (disclaimer: I mean this in a metaphorical way, don’t actually stab people, that’s messed up). GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! GET IN!!!

Before kick-off, please join me in the auld toast: “TO THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB…AND VICTORY!!!”

Will we see Ryan Kent make his Sounders FC debut on Sat?

The Good News

Sounders FC Reserves win again in the US Open Cup! Ably assisted by senior squad members Andrew Thomas, Travian Sousa, Stuart Hawkins, Leo Burney, and Cody Baker, the reserves ran out to a 2:1 extra-time victory on goals by Peter Kingston and Osaze De Rosario. WELL DONE LADS!!! SOUNDERS FOR THE CUP!!!

Sounders managed to get one past the Dallas last Sat and sneak out with the three points on the strength of a Danny Musovski goal. Musovski should’ve had a brace but was impeded by the Linesman’s flag.

Nashville have struggled on the road this season and have only one victory away from The Fairgrounds so far (1-0-2). Conversely, Sounders are unbeaten at Royal Brougham Park this season (2-3-0).

We’re getting Alex Roldan, Jordan Morris, and Albert Rusnak back from injury list as they’ve been declared fully fit and eligible for selection. Also, newboy Ryan Kent has got his work visa sorted out and can also be selected for Saturday’s match.

The Bad News

B.J. Callahan is a proper manager. This bloke worked himself from the very modest beginnings at Division III Ursinus College to caretaker manager of the Yanks, where he had an unbeaten record (4-3-0). We’d better not put a foot wrong, or we’ll likely pay for it.

Although we took the three points at Dallas, Jackson Ragen would go down with a hamstring issue during the match. He is expected to be out for four to six weeks. Ragen is one of the pillars our defence is built around. Let’s hope Sounders and Jamaica centre-half Jon Bell will perform well in Jackson’s absence.

Although we got one in the win column last Sat, we’re still struggling to score goals (1.33 goals/match, 1.13 MLS) and we’re conceding them at a rate which is notably un-Sounder-like (1.42 goals conceded/match in all competitions). Let’s see if we can put together two consistent results.

Nashville are averaging 1.50 goals/match and also are tied for having the 3rd best defence in the league (1.00 goals conceded/match). By the numbers this match looks like a 1:1 draw or a 1:2 defeat. Fortunately for us, stats don’t determine the winner before a ball is kicked.

Sounders have never defeated Nashville in any of our three meetings in the league. This is intolerable and must change. Saturday seems like a perfect time to set things right.

The Side I Would Select

Ragen’s out with a hamstring issue and is expected to be out for over a month. Kent’s visa has been sorted out but he is in the process of building up his fitness. Best case scenario for Kent is to be named to the substitutes bench for Sat. Aside from that, with a week between matches, you select the best team. Alex and Rusnak have returned to fitness and are available for selection.

Rationale: Bell in place of the injured Ragen. Tsukanome has earned a chance to audition for the centre-forward or withdrawn centre-forward position through scoring a hatful of goals with the Reserves. As we’re struggling to score goals, this makes all the sense. De Rosario should also be given a look at the #9. I would have Musovski start the match. He scored a goal against the Dallas, and would’ve had a brace if it weren’t for the infinite stupidity of the toenail offsides. I get that Jordan Morris is fit to play, and if we’re struggling on goals he could come on for the second half. This also makes sense as Jordan is recently recovered from injury and it makes sense to ease him back in.

GK     Frei

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Bell

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LDM    Vargas

RDM   Cristian

LF     Rusnak

CAM   Tsukanome

RF     de la Vega

CF     Musovski

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

I’d expect the team you saw at Dallas, with Morris, Bell, Rusnak, and Alex added. There is a possibility that Morris, Rusnak, and Alex could come on as substitutes, as the Gaffer doesn’t like to run players the full 90 minutes that have just regained fitness. My best guess in the 5-2-3 shape we’re currently playing:

GK     Frei

LB     Rothrock

LCH    Nouhou

CH     Bell

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LDM    Vargas

RDM   Cristian

LF     Rusnak

CF     Morris

RF     de la Vega

Intangibles

Weather.

The Seattle forecast for kick-off looks to be in the vicinity of 50ºF with possible showers. Advantage: Sounders.

Re-integration of players getting over injuries.

It’s probably fine, and this won’t have any sort of major impact if everything went to plan in training. However, if there are a few guys in the side that are knocking the rust off, there might be some clunky patches during the match.

Referee.

Saturday afternoon’s match Referee will be Ricardo Fierro.

Sounders FC record with Fierro as Ref: 0-0-1

Nashville record with Fierro as Ref: 0-0-0

Brougham Boost.

Sounders at home is a difficult fixture for any visiting side. Advantage: Sounders.

General notes on personnel

Nashville transfers IN:

Tagseth (Rosenborg BK) free

Bauer - re-signed

Brugman (Los Angeles Galaxy) undisclosed

Acosta (Real Espana) free

Valdez (Houston Dynamo) draft

Palacios (America de Cali) free

Applewhite - academy

Najar (Olimpia) undisclosed

Schwake (Castellon) undisclosed

Ekk - reserves

Corcoran (Birmingham Legion) €100,000

Qasem (IF Elfsborg) €4M

Meyer - draft

Nashville transfers OUT:
Ajago (Real Salt Lake) draft

Anunga (FC Cincinnati) free

Godoy (San Diego FC) free

Kallman (Union Omaha) free

Martino - released

Sejdic - released

Skinner (Tampa Bay Rowdies) free

Yearwood - released

MacNaughton (DC United) €192,000

Davis (Los Angeles Galaxy) €96,000

Moore (FC Dallas) €48,000

Leal (DC United) free

Panicco (MLS Pool) free

Pacius (Tampa Bay Rowdies) loan

Comparison against common opponents

SEA 2:2 CLT

CLT 2:1 NSH

(against CLT: SEA 0-1-0 0, NSH 0-0-1 -1) marginal edge SEA

RSL 2:0 SEA

NSH 2:1 RSL

(against RSL: SEA 0-0-1 -2, NSH 1-0-0 +1) decisive edge NSH

Know Thine Enemy

Nashville as they lined up against Salt Lake in their 2:1 victory at Benton Avenue on 12 April. 

GOALKEEPER

Joe Willis, 36

United States

Notable Clubs: DC United (23/0), Houston Dynamo (90/0), Nashville SC (159/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €200,000

Notes: Developed by Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis). Played his university football for Denver (53/0). Won a US Open Cup with DC United. Won a US Open Cup with Houston Dynamo.

DEFENCE

Daniel Lovitz, 33

United States (13/0)

Notable Clubs: Toronto FC (41/0), Montreal Impact (84/1), Nashville SC (147/3)

Estimated Transfer Value: €450,000

Notes: Developed by Lower Merion SC Velez and Germantown Academy. Played his university football for Elon (80/9). Won a Canadian Championship with Montreal Impact.

Jack Maher, 25

United States

Notable Clubs: St. Louis FC (2/0), Nashville SC (118/5), San Diego Loyal (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2M

Notes: Developed by St. Louis Scott Gallagher. Played his university football for  Indiana (46/4).

Jeisson Palacios, 31

Colombia

Notable Clubs: Alianza Petrolera (91/2), Atletico Bucaramanga (31/2), Santa Fe (35/3), Pafos (27/2), America de Cali (22/1), Nashville SC (2/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €450,000

Notes: Developed by Atletico Nacional.

Andy Najar, 32

Honduras (53/5)

Notable Clubs: DC United (152/11), Anderlecht (126/11), Los Angeles FC (8/0), Olimpia (35/2), Nashville SC (7/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €400,000

Notes: Full name: Andy Ariel Najar Rodriguez. Won three Belgian Pro League titles and two Belgian Super Cups with Anderlecht. Named MLS Rookie of the Year 2010.

MIDFIELD

Alex Muyl, 29

United States

Notable Clubs: New York RB (113/11), Nashville SC (153/12)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.8M

Notes: Developed by Manhattan Kickers, Blau Weiss Gottschee, New York Cosmos, New York RB. Played his university football for Georgetown (62/12). Won an MLS league championship with New York RB.

Gaston Brugman, 32

Uruguay

Notable Clubs: Empoli (20/2), Pescara (153/18), Palermo (14/0), Parma (50/1), Oviedo (33/3), Los Angeles Galaxy (58/5), Nashville SC (6/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.8M

Notes: Developed by Estudiantes de Rosario, Penarol, and Empoli. Won an MLS Cup with Los Angeles Galaxy. Named MLS Cup MVP 2024.

Edvard Tagseth, 24

Norway

Notable Clubs: Rosenborg BK (118/8), Nashville SC (8/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.8M

Notes: Developed by Neset and Liverpool.

FORWARD

Ahmed Qasem, 21

Sweden

Notable Clubs: IF Elfsborg (67/7), Nashville SC (7/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €3.5M

Notes: Developed by LSW IF and Motala AIF. Played for Sweden at youth levels (18/5).

Sam Surridge, 26

England

Notable Clubs: Bournemouth (35/4), Swansea City (21/5), Stoke City (20/2), Nottingham Forest (37/8), Nashville SC (45/16)

Estimated Transfer Value: €5M

Notes: Developed by Bournemouth. Won an ELF Championship promotion play-off with Nottingham Forest.

Hany Mukhtar, 30

Germany

Notable Clubs: Hertha Berlin (17/0), Benfica (1/0), RB Salzburg (13/1), Brondby (77/18), Nashville SC (153/68)

Estimated Transfer Value: €6M

Notes: Developed by FC Stern Marienfelde and Hertha BSC. Won a 2. Bundesliga title with Hertha BSC. Won a Primeira Liga at Benfica. Won Austrian Bundesliga title and Austrian Cup double at RB Salzburg. Won a Danish Cup at Brondby. Named to MLS Best XI three times. Won MLS Golden Boot 2022, scoring 23 goals. Named MLS MVP 2022.

Familiar Faces

None.

Squads

Sounders FC from:

Frei, Thomas, Baker, Baker-Whiting, Bell, Burney, Gomez Andrade, Hawkins, Kim, Kossa-Rienzi, Nouhou, Alex, Sousa, Joao Paulo, Leyva, Cristian, Rusnak, Vargas, de la Vega, Ferreira, Kent, Minoungou, Morris, Musovski, Rothrock.

Nashville from:

Willis, Valdez, Schwake, Lovitz, Palacios, Maher, Bauer, Washington, Meyer, Najar, Applewhite, Acosta, Brugman, Yazbek, Mukhtar, Shaffelburg, Corcoran, Muyl, Tagseth, Perez, Qasem, Jones, Surridge, Bunbury, Sipic.

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Sounders FC -

OUT: Ragen (hamstring), Arriola (knee).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

Nashville -

OUT: Boyd (knee), Ekk (knee), Gaines (thigh), Zimmerman (head).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

Discipline

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Sounders FC: No players suspended.

Nashville: Tagseth out next match if booked.

Fun Fact

Nashville is the only MLS club to face us more than once without conceding a goal. We’ve never scored on this lot in three matches played.