Nashville SC vs Charlotte FC: 1 v 1 Battles to watch
- Sam Vanolinda
- May 9
- 3 min read
By Sam Vanolinda
Charlotte FC heads west to the Music City this weekend to snap their league losing streak against a tough Nashville SC team that is only two points below the Crown in the table.
This is one of many challenging away games that Charlotte must endure in the next couple of months. Nashville is always a tough team to face, especially with their rowdy home crowd.
The Crown will take momentum from their midweek U.S. Open Cup win against NCFC in Cary and try to convert it into a performance to be proud of against Nashville.
That game did go to extra time, so there may be some tired legs from Privett, Scardina, and more. Let’s look at the key 1v1 battles for Saturday’s game with help from Ben Wright from 615 Soccer, @benwright on X.
Hany Mukhtar vs Brandt Bronico
Ben Wright: Hany Mukhtar is still the central hub of this team. Almost everything in the final third runs through him. He can play as a more advanced striker or in a more traditional No. 10 role. When he's at his best, Nashville is almost impossible to stop.
Sam Vanolinda: Brandt Bronico is the disruptor for Charlotte FC. He will likely try to track Mukhtar and stop him from dominating in the middle. Bronico usually fills the stat sheet with defensive stats like interceptions and clearances. If he can limit the amount of space Mukhtar can work with, Charlotte will have a good chance of winning.
Sam Surridge vs Adilson Malanda
Ben Wright: Sam Surridge is getting onto the end of chances, but he hasn't consistently finished. Even with a four-goal outing against Chicago, he's still underperforming his expected goals by almost three goals. The hope is that as he continues to get chances, the finish will be there more consistently. Even so, he's still just a goal off the Golden Boot race and is a really dangerous No. 9.
Sam Vanolinda: Malanda will be the best player on the Charlotte team to deal with 6' 3" striker Sam Surridge. The Frenchman will have to focus on not letting Surridge see the net one time because once he sees one goal go in, he might end up embarrassing the opposing team, as shown by his four-goal game. When playing confidently, Malanda is one of the best center-backs in MLS; he has excellent instincts and can bail the team out with his athleticism. After allowing four goals against Columbus, Malanda and the rest of the defense will want to prove themselves on Saturday.
Eddi Tagseth vs Ashley Westwood
Ben Wright: Eddi Tagseth has been crucial to Nashville's new-look midfield. He covers insane amounts of ground, wins basically every tackle, and quickly resets possession. He's not going to pop out on the stat sheet, but he's been an incredibly important piece of Nashville's success this year.
Sam Vanolinda: Westwood is the mirror of Tagseth for Charlotte FC. He is not always on the stat sheet, but every Charlotte FC fan knows Westwood's impact on this team. The captain will be fresh after not traveling to Cary midweek. It will be a battle between Tagseth and Westwood to maintain and control possession for their respective teams and deliver passes into the final third to create chances.
Summary
Key players for both teams play centrally, so this is likely where the game could be won and lost. A caveat is that Pep Biel might not be able to go again this weekend, making Charlotte's Designated Player wingers Wilfried Zaha and Liel Abada also key impact players, as they will need to step up if Biel is absent.
Tagseth and Westwood were one of the great 1 v 1 matchups to watch the last time these teams faced off, so definitely check on that midfield battle again this weekend.
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