Welcome back to the Guardian’s MLS Power Rankings, where I have a beef with your specific team and your specific team alone.
Now, as a reminder, these aren’t your standard, run-of-the-mill power rankings. We’re still ranking teams from worst to first. But along with the rankings, we’re diving deep into a handful of teams from around the league who are doing particularly interesting things.
Trouble in the Music City
28. Chicago Fire
26. FC Dallas
24. Nashville SC
The best versions of Nashville SC, the ones that pushed into the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff field or made a run to the Leagues Cup final, were built on a couple of core principles. First, they were defensively compact. Second, they were incisive in transition.
This year’s version of Nashville SC is neither of those things. With just 14 points from 12 games, they’re languishing down in 10th in the Eastern Conference. And now, this year’s version of Nashville SC is without its manager: Gary Smith was fired on Thursday.
Defensively, only 10 teams in MLS have allowed more xG per game than Nashville, according to American Soccer Analysis. So many of those conceded chances came back in a 5-0 loss to LAFC in March, a match that kicked off a five-game winless run. LAFC carved right through their former conference mates in a way that we’re just not used to seeing.
Nashville have been noticeably more passive defensively in 2024 than they were in 2023, struggling to apply pressure without the ball. Last year, they sat 18th in MLS in passes allowed per defensive action with 13.4, according to Opta. This year? They’re 27th in the league with 16.2. Their line of confrontation is deeper, but that hasn’t translated to actual compactness.
Getting Walker Zimmerman back into the defense after his injury problems has helped, but it used to be that Nashville took joy in being difficult to play against regardless of which 11 players were on the field. Some of that identity seems to have faded.
Nashville have had more than their fair share of injuries even beyond Zimmerman. However, those don’t fully explain their attacking woes.
Nashville aren’t a direct team this year. Troublingly, they’re not an effective possession team, either. Former league MVP Hany Mukhtar is at his best off the ball rather than…