Gary Smith has an expectations problem: He’s starting to create them.
The Nashville SC coach’s attack is averaging only one goal per game, his high-priced designated player hasn’t been on the field in more than two weeks, and the effects of playing a compressed schedule sometimes make his players look like they’re running in quicksand late in games.
kAmqFE E96D6 2C6 2== D>2== AC@3=6>D] $@>69@H[ D@>6 H2J[ }2D9G:==6 $r BF2=:7:65 7@C E96 |{$ A=2J@77D 56DA:E6 36:?8 2? 6IA2?D:@? E62>[ 2?5 }$r :D G6CJ >F49 :? 52?86C @7 4C62E:?8 6IA64E2E:@?D — H:E9:? E96 72? 32D6[ H:E9:? E96 A=2J6CD 2?5 >2J36 6G6? H:E9:? $>:E9 9:>D6=7] ~G6C E96 A2DE D:I 82>6D[ }2D9G:==6 :D @?6 @7 E96 E@A 4=F3D :? |{$[ 2?5 A62<:?8 C:89E 2D E96 A=2J@77D 2C6 DE2CE:?8]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D ?@ H2J E92E }2D9G:==6 D9@F=5 36 3@F?5 7@C E96 A@DED62D@?] p? 6IA2?D:@? D:56 E92E 42?’E D4@C6 D9@F=5?’E 6G6? 36 :? E96 5:D4FDD:@? — ;FDE 2D< ur r:?4:??2E: 23@FE =2DE D62D@?] qFE $>:E9 92D >@=565 9:D E62> :?E@ @?6 E92E :D 2>@?8 E96 >@DE @C82?:K65 :? E96 =628F6 2?5 23=6 E@ H:E9DE2?5 D@>6E:>6D\4@?DE2?E AC6DDFC6] k^Am
kAm{:DE6?:?8 E@ $>:E9 27E6C 9:D DBF25 8C@F?5 @FE 2 `\` 5C2H 282:?DE E96 r9:428@ u:C6 @? w2==@H66?[ E96 4@249 E2=<D 23@FE H92E 2 E649?:42= D:56 r9:428@ :D 2?5 9@H 52?86C@FD E96J H6C6] “xE H2D 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 G6CJ[ G6CJ E@F89 ?:89E[” $>:E9 D2JD] “x 2=H2JD 76=E H6 H@F=5 92G6 @FC 92?5D 7F==]” k^Am
kAm%96 u:C6 96=5 E96 32== 7@C C@F89=J f_ A6C46?E @7 E96 D64@?5 92=7[ A:??:?8 }2D9G:==6 :?E@ E96:C @H? 6?5] !=2J:?8 E96:C D:IE9 82>6 :? a_ 52JD — }2D9G:==6 92D 925 E@ >2<6 FA 82>6D :E 4@F=5?’E A=2J :? E96 D62D@?\@A6?:?8 |{$ xD q24< E@FC?2>6?E 5F6 E@ A@D:E:G6 r~'xs\`h C6DF=ED @? E96 E62> — 92D E2<6? 2 E@==[ 2?5 }$r H2D F?23=6 E@ 5@ >@C6 E92? 9F?<6C 5@H? 2?5 C:56 @FE E96 82>6] qFE $>:E9’D A=2J6CD 92G6 3@F89E :?E@ E96 t?8=:D9>2?’D DJDE6>] |@?EC62= 4@249 %9:6CCJ w6?CJ[ 2 =686?5 2E pCD6?2= :? {@?5@?[ 42==D E96> 2? “@=5\D49@@= !C6>:6C {628F6” E62>] k^Am
kAmxE’D 2 D92CA 4@?EC2DE E@ 9@H @E96C D>2==6C\>2C<6E |{$ 4=F3D 92G6 6?E6C65 E96 =628F6 :? C646?E J62CD] %62>D D4@C65 7@C 7F? 282:?DE r:?4:??2E: =2DE J62Cj D2>6 DE@CJ H:E9 |:??6D@E2 :? a_`f] q:8\>2C<6E 4=F3D =:<6 pE=2?E2 2?5 {pur 3C@F89E :? 9:89\AC:465 56D:8?2E65 A=2J6CD 2?5 9:896C\AC@7:=6 4@2496D[ 3FJ:?8 E96:C H2J :?E@ E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm%96 6IA2?D:@? AC@46DD[ 7@C E9@D6 F?H:==:?8 @C F?23=6 E@ DA6?5 2 82K:==:@? 5@==2CD @? E96 7C@?E 6?5[ :D 56D:8?65 E@ 8:G6 E62>D 6?@F89 5646?E A=2J6CD E@ 7:6=5 2 DBF25[ H:? 2 82>6 @C EH@ 2?5 >2J36 6G6? DFCAC:D6 D@>6@?6 :? E96 2??F2= &]$] ~A6? rFA E@FC?2>6?E] %96C6 2C6 D:>A=J E@@ >2?J 9@=6D E@ 7:== :? 2 C@DE6C E@ 36 4@>A6E:E:G6] p?5 :7 J@F H2?E E@ A=2J D6IJ 7FE3@=[ 36 AC6A2C65 E@ =62< =:<6 2 D:6G6 @? 5676?D6]k^Am
kAmp?5 E92E’D H9J v6?6C2= |2?286C |:<6 y24@3D 56D6CG6D 2 =@E @7 4C65:E 7@C }2D9G:==6’D DF446DD] w6 H2D 72>:=:2C H:E9 $>:E9 2?5 F?56CDE@@5 E96 EJA6D @7 A=2J6CD ?66565 E@ 7:E E96 4@249’D DJDE6>] x? 7@FC EC256D[ 96 24BF:C65 E96 DA:?6 @7 E96 E62> :? 46?E6C 324<D (2=<6C +:>>6C>2? W7C@> {purX 2?5 s2G6 #@>?6J W7C@> {]p] v2=2IJX 2?5 5676?D:G6 >:57:6=56CD s2I |4r2CEJ W7C@> r9:428@X 2?5 p?í32= v@5@J W7C@> $2? y@D6X] %92E 4@C6 :D H9J }2D9G:==6 :D 4FCC6?E=J E96 36DE\A6C7@C>:?8 5676?D6 3J 2? 6IA2?D:@? 4=F3 :? =628F6 9:DE@CJ[ 8:G:?8 FA =6DD E92? @?6 8@2= A6C 82>6] k^Am
kAm$>:E9 <?@HD E92E 9:D 5676?D6 8:G6D 9:> 2 492?46 E@ 86E 2 C6DF=E 7C@> 2?J 82>6 — 6G6? 2 82>6 282:?DE 2 E62> =:<6 r9:428@[ H9:49 A@DD6DD65 E96 32== EH:46 2D >F49] (9J 6I24E=J[ 4@249[ :D r9:428@ D4C2A:?8 E@ 86E :?E@ E96 A=2J@77D H9:=6 }2D9G:==6 :D 2=C625J :? 2?5 r9:428@ A=2JD DF49 2 AC6EEJ 82>6nk^Am
kAm“%96 C62D@? E92E H6’C6 D:EE:?8 H96C6 H6 2C6 2?5 E96J 2C6?’E :D 3642FD6 H6 92G6 @E96C BF2=:E:6D[” $>:E9 D2:5 HCJ=J 27E6C E96 ~4E] b` 82>6 282:?DE r9:428@] “pD 72C 2D E@?:89E 8@6D[ :E H2D?’E @FC 36DE A6C7@C>2?46 7@C DFC6] x’5 92G6 366? 2 =@E >@C6 5:D2AA@:?E65 E@ A=2J H6== 2?5 86E 362E]”k^Am
kAmpE D@>6 A@:?E[ J@F 92G6 E@ 25>:C6 E96 8C:E] xE’D ?@E 2? 62DJ DJDE6> E@ 252AE E@ 3642FD6 :E C6BF:C6D 4@?DE2?E 4@>>F?:42E:@? 2?5 A@D:E:@?:?8] %96C6 42? 36 ?@ D6=7:D9 A=2J[ ?@ E2<:?8 2 82>6 @77 E@ ;FDE 7@4FD @? @776?D6] pEE24<:?8 DE2CD =:<6 #2?52== {62= 2?5 w2?J |F<9E2C >FDE EC24< 324< 2?5 A=2J 5676?D6] k^Am
kAm%9:D E62> — E9:D 6IA2?D:@? E62> — 92D 2 AF?496C’D 492?46 282:?DE 2?J E62> :? E96 =628F6 :? E96 A=2J@77D[ 6DA64:2==J :? 2 H6:C5 J62C 7F== @7 92=7\42?46=65 D62D@?D[ A@DEA@?65 82>6D 2?5 4@>AC6DD65 D4965F=6D] $>:E9 92D E96 E62> 36=:6G:?8] w6 92D 72?D 36=:6G:?8] k^Am
kAm%96 6IA64E2E:@?D 7@C 2 7:CDE\J62C |{$ E62> D9@F=5 36 “H6’C6 ;FDE 92AAJ E@ 36 96C6]” (92E :7 }2D9G:==6’D 2C6 >@C6 E92? E92E ?@Hn *@F 42? E92?< v2CJ $>:E9 7@C C2:D:?8 E96>]k^Am
kAm%9:D DE@CJ @C:8:?2==J 2AA62C65 @? @FC D:DE6C AF3=:42E:@?[ k2 9C67lQE96Ta_}2D9G:==6Ta_$46?69EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6D46?6]4@>^?6HD^DA@CED^2CE:4=6^a``ccach^?2D9G:==6\D4\>2<6D\E96\>=D\A=2J@77D\DFCAC:D6D\E96\=628F6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE96 }2D9G:==6 $46?6k^2m]k^Am

