How Nashville SC has found success in both MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup
Nashville SC's 2-0 win at Atlanta United showed how the team has been able to balance the pressures of multiple competitions.
Nashville SC arrived in Mexico City the day before the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions Cup series vs. Club América. It beat América 1-0 on April 14, overcoming the challenges of playing 7,200 feet above sea level to become the first MLS side to ever win at the historic Estadio Azteca .
At 7 a. m. , the team flew back to Nashville.
As difficult as it is to reach the semifinals of North America's premier club competition, navigating the MLS season at the same time is not for the faint of heart. With an off-day and two days of training after getting back from Mexico, Nashville (6-1-1, 19 points) turned around and beat Atlanta United 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 18. It had the makings of a trap game — a tired team coming off an emotional, milestone victory could have easily overlooked Atlanta, which came in 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Yet Nashville coach B. J. Callaghan fielded mostly the same players that got the win at Azteca and watched them take apart their Southern rivals in methodical fashion.