Nashville SC’s players probably don’t need to see the color pink for quite some time following the team’s first-round MLS playoff loss to Inter Miami CF on Saturday.
The Herons, led by world-class talent Lionel Messi, turned into a recurring nightmare in pink for the Boys in Gold toward the end of the season.
kAm|:2>:’D c\_ 3=2?<:?8 @7 G:D:E:?8 }2D9G:==6 :? E96 564:D:G6 v2>6 b @7 E96 D6C:6D >62?E E96 w6C@?D 925 92?565 }$r :ED =2DE E9C66 56762ED @7 a_ad] %96 q@JD :? v@=5 76== d\a :? E96 E62>D’ C68F=2C\D62D@? 7:?2=6[ =@DE b\` :? v2>6 ` @7 E96 D6C:6D[ 2?5 — 27E6C 62C?:?8 2 a\` H:? :? v2>6 a — DF776C65 E96 J62C\6?5:?8 D9FE@FE]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2? F?D@=G23=6 42D6 @7 |6DD:[ |6DD: 2?5 >@C6 |6DD: E92E A=28F65 }2D9G:==6[ 2D E96 6:89E\E:>6 q2==@? 5’~C H:??6C 2D E96 H@C=5’D 36DE A=2J6C E@E2=65 7:G6 8@2=D 2?5 E9C66 2DD:DED :? E96 E9C66\82>6 A=2J@77 D6C:6D — :?4=F5:?8 EH@ 8@2=D 2?5 EH@ 2DD:DED :? v2>6 b]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D 42C66C 282:?DE }2D9G:==6[ |6DD: 92D E@E2=65 `d 8@2=D 2?5 7@FC 2DD:DED :? `_ 4@?E6DED 24C@DD 2== 4@>A6E:E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 `_ 8@2=D 2?5 7@FC 2DD:DED :? 7:G6 82>6D 282:?DE }$r E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm|:2>:[ E96 E9:C5\D66565 E62> :? E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46[ >2J H6== 92G6 E96 >@DE E2=6?E65 C@DE6C :? E96 =628F6[ 2D |6DD: :D DFAA@CE65 3J pC86?E:?6 4@F?ECJ>6? $6C8:@ qFDBF6ED 2?5 y@C5: p=32[ 2>@?8 @E96CD]k^Am
kAmqFE =@D:?8 E@ 2 E62> H:E9 DF49 2 5:DE:?8F:D965 A65:8C66 5:5 =:EE=6 E@ 4@?D@=6 D:IE9\D66565 }2D9G:==6[ H9:49 92D H@? ;FDE @?6 @7 :ED =2DE `a >2E496D W`\h\aX 282:?DE |:2>:]k^Am
kAm“(9@6G6C H6 A=2J 282:?DE[ E96J 92G6 E96 D2>6 ?F>36C @7 A=2J6CD H6 5@[ 2?5 BF:E6 7C2?<=J[ H6 72?4J @FCD6=G6D 282:?DE 2?J 8C@FA[” }$r 5676?56C s2?:6= {@G:EK D2:5] “xE’D ?@E =@DE @? FD[ E96 BF2=:EJ @7 A=2J6CD 2?5 E62> 2?5 C@DE6C ,E92E |:2>: 92D.] qFE :E’D D@>6E9:?8 E92E :?DA:C65 FD E@ A=2J 36EE6C 2?5 C2:D6 @FC =6G6=]k^Am
kAm“*@F 5@?’E 86E A@:?ED 7@C 4@>A6E:?8] *@F 86E A@:?ED 7@C H:??:?8] $@[ ?@E 86EE:?8 E96 ;@3 5@?6 DE:?<D C682C5=6DD]”k^Am
kAm|6DD: 46CE2:?=J 5:5?’E ?665 2?J 96=A 7C@> }2D9G:==6 E@ :>A24E E96 82>6[ 3FE E96 q@JD :? v@=5 F?7@CEF?2E6=J >256 2 4@FA=6 @7 6CC@CD E92E =65 5:C64E=J E@ 9:D D4@C6D]k^Am
kAmw6 A@DE65 9:D 7:CDE 8@2= :? E96 `_kDFAmE9k^DFAm >:?FE6[ 27E6C }2D9G:==6 >:57:6=56C |2EE96H r@C4@C2?’D 324< A2DD ?62C >:57:6=5 567=64E65 @77 |:2>:’D %256@ p==6?56[ 2==@H:?8 |6DD: E@ D4@C6 7C@> E96 E@A @7 E96 3@I]k^Am
kAm|6DD: >256 :E a\_ :? E96 bhkDFAmE9k^DFAm >:?FE6[ H96? }$r 46?E6C 324< (2=<6C +:>>6C>2? H9:7765 @? 2 =@?8 A2DD[ H9:49 6?23=65 |:2>:’D |2E6@ $:=G6EE: E@ D6E FA |6DD: :?E@ 2 ?62C=J H:56 @A6? ?6E]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :E ;FDE 4@>6D 5@H? E@ D@>6 >@>6?ED 2?5 A=2JD[” }2D9G:==6 4@249 q]y] r2==2892? D2:5] “qFE … H6 H6C6 DEF4< :? @FC @H? 92=7 H:E9 E96 32==[ 2?5 H6 5:5?’E 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 3C62< 369:?5 E96> 2?5 >@G6 E96:C =:?6]”k^Am
kAm}2D9G:==6’D =@DD 3C@F89E 2? 6?5 E@ BF:E6 2 3@F?46\324< D62D@? 7@C E96 q@JD :? v@=5[ H9@ 7:?:D965 `bkDFAmE9k^DFAm :? E96 `d\E62> t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 :? a_ac]k^Am
kAmx? r2==2892?’D 7:CDE 7F== D62D@? 2D 9625 4@249[ }$r :>AC@G65 3J 2 H9@AA:?8 D6G6? H:?D 2?5 `g A@:?ED @G6C a_ac[ D6EE:?8 4=F3 C64@C5D 7@C C68F=2C D62D@? G:4E@C:6D W`eX[ 9@>6 H:?D W`aX[ =@?86DE F?362E6? DEC62< W`a 82>6DX 2?5 8@2=D D4@C65 WdgX]k^Am
kAm|@DE ?@E23=J[ }2D9G:==6 42AEFC65 E96 {2>2C wF?E &]$] ~A6? rFA[ 4=2:>:?8 E96 7:CDE >2;@C AC@76DD:@?2= DA@CED 492>A:@?D9:A :? E96 DE2E6 @7 %6??6DD66 2?5 62C?:?8 2 36CE9 :? E96 r@?42427 r92>A:@?D rFA :? a_ae]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 5:D2AA@:?E65 2?5 E96 6>@E:@? :D C2H[ 3FE H96? … E96 6>@E:@? :D 42=>[ H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ =@@< 324< 2E a_ad 2D 2 C62= AC@F5 >@>6?E[” r2==2892? D2:5] “x 4@F=5?’E 36 >@C6 AC@F5 @7 @FC A=2J6CD 2?5 E96 H2J E96J =62G6 6G6CJE9:?8 @FE E96C6[ 2?5 9@H 3C2G6 E96J A=2J]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 9:DE@C:4 D62D@?] xE’D C64@C5\3C62<:?8 :? D@ >2?J H2JD ]]] x E9:?< H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ =@@< 324< 2?5 36 C62==J AC@F5 @7 E96 E@E2=:EJ @7 E96 D62D@?]”k^Am
