Nashville SC's 2022 season can not really be described as good or bad, it lies somewhere in between. They finished with a record of 13-10-11, placing them in fifth place in the Western Conference. Their playoff run did not last very long, as LA Galaxy bounced them straight out of the Western Conference in the first round, by a 1-0 scoreline. Hany Mukhtar had the team on his back all year, leading him to win the league MVP award over Sebastian Driussi. Mukhtar was considered second to Driussi for the majority of the season, but his late-season success propelled him towards the award. He scored 23 goals along with 7 assists, and scored 19 with 10 assists in 2021 as well. Teal Bunbury was second on the team in goals, while starting just six games during the entire MLS campaign. Hany Mukhtar is Nashville SC at this point, but they need some contributions from other sources.
This off-season, Nashville continued to showcase their hatred for their international spots, trading virtually all of them away for GAM that they barely even used. There hasn't been many moves that weren't puzzling, as they loaned out Ake Loba to Mexico's Mazatlan, yet he still fills a DP spot. Outside of him, Randall Leal and Hany Mukhtar have both acquired green cards, meaning that new signing in Englishman Laurence Dyke may be the only international player on the entire roster. Nashville SC is absurdly domestic. Their biggest signing was the addition of Fafa Picault, a winger who has had success with FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, and Philadelphia Union over the years. Nick DePuy came in a trade from LA Galaxy, he cost $50K in GAM for some defensive depth. Midfielder Kemy Amiche of Campbell University and American Nebiyou Perry, who last played for Sweden's Ostersund, and Tyler Freeman from the USL round out the signings this off-season. On the way out is solidified starting center back Dave Romney, who was traded to the New England Revolution for $525K in GAM. Handwalla Bwana and the club mutually parted ways, while some other players, like Robert Castellanos, became free agents. Though, nothing else too notable.
This easily feels like one of the strangest, and worst, off-seasons for that matter across the entire league this year. Nashville's entire team-building strategy is just very confusing. Their refusal of using international spots rather than trading them is weird it its own right, but not using the GAM for anything too useful makes it even more of a head-scratcher. With that being said, having a Hany Mukhtar on your team can make up for a lot of issues. He will be paired up top with CJ Sapong. Fafa Picault and Randall Leal are the most likely starters on the wings. Meanwhile, Anibal Godoy and Sean Davis are the top candidates to sit in behind in defensive midfield, though Dax McCarty will see some games as well. Shaq Moore and Daniel Lovitz have the fullback spots covered. Walker Zimmerman will of course be deployed at CB, probably next to Jack Maher. Maher will have to step into a much larger role with the departure of Dave Romney. Joe Willis will be the starting goalkeeper. In full, the Nashville SC lineup is a solid one, which contains a majority of players that have spent multiple years in their system. The main issue is the lack of dynamicity, as well as attacking depth. Teal Bunbury can provide some occasional goals off the bench, and Jacob Shaffelburg is a great substitute option, but it gets pretty thin after that. There is no secret that once again, all of the pressure will fall on Hany Mukhtar's shoulders. The question is, will he be able to deal with the pressure, just as he did last season?
Projected XI:
GK: Willis
DEF: Lovitz, Maher, Zimmerman, Moore
MID: Davis, Godoy, Picualt, Leal
FWD: Mukhtar, Sapong
Off-Season Grade: D-
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