[Image source: USL]

This past year I had the distinct pleasure of finally supporting a local professional soccer team. I have been a diehard soccer fan for years, but the city I live in has never had a hometown team. I’ve primarily watched the Premier League and International soccer to make up for it.

That all changed two(ish, I don’t remember) years ago when it was announced that Nashville Soccer Club would start playing in the United Soccer League, the second division, underneath the MLS, in American soccer. I, honestly, never even knew that the USL existed and I’ve never cared about the MLS. The quality of play is, quite frankly, far below what you would find in professional leagues in Europe and, having no hometown team, there was no real reason to support it. MLS has been trying to straddle the fence of behaving like an American sport and behaving like European soccer, leaning more towards the American sport demographic (a Major League mistake). The result is a league that doesn’t have an identity. It’s painful to watch sometimes.

As a resident of Nashville, I am no stranger to professional sports, even small-time professional sports. We have the Titans, everyone knows the fervor the Preds can illicit in this city, we have a minor league baseball team (The Sounds), and we’ve hosted a few big name events: University of Tennessee Football games, NCAA Basketball Tournament, NFL draft is coming, the Gold Cup, etc. We are becoming a sports town and I love it. Nashville Soccer Club was in a prime position to make an impact in this market.

After announcing the USL team, it was announced that Nashville was awarded an MLS team, that will (most likely, though unconfirmed) begin playing in 2020. This announcement put Nashville soccer fans, at least the more casual among us, in an interesting situation. Should you invest time and energy supporting a team that will not build a history in the league they are currently playing in? There’s no chance of building a dynasty, no real point in building a competitive USL team if the team is just going to leave the USL in two or three seasons. How much impact can your team have on a league if there is an expiration date on your team in that league? I know several people who have said they will start paying attention when the MLS team starts playing.

Not me, though. My wife and I have been fans since day 1. I went to every home game that I was in town for and watched many of the away ones. I sit in the supporters’ section and sing the songs. I know the players and the coaching staff. I’m all in on it. Even though this team will not have a chance to make an impact on the USL, when I’m 60 years old, watching a Nashville MLS team playing for a title, I can say to my grandkids “I was there one rainy afternoon in March (I think?) when NSC played it’s first ever professional soccer game in a minor league baseball stadium. I was there throughout the entire first season. This is my team. I’ve been with them from the start.” There’s something powerful in that. There’s something meaningful in being there from the start. It’s exciting, it gives you a feeling of ownership over this team that you in no way own.

It’s hard to know what to expect when supporting a first-year team. You don’t know where the deficiencies lie, you don’t know what to expect going into the season. This team could be the best team in the league or the worst. You don’t know how the players will mesh together or with the coach. You don’t know the Coach and GM’s tactics or plans. You don’t know how the supporters will be, whether they will be fun and excited or grumpy and obnoxious. You don’t know if people will even come out to the games. You pretty much do not know anything. Except that you can finally watch your city play your favorite sport. And anything can happen. It’s electric.

Through the course of the season, it becomes very apparent what the strengths and weaknesses of the team are. NSC had a solid defense, but really struggled going forward. The midfield had a hard time delivering balls to the forwards, who were quite good at finishing when given the chance, and we lacked any sort of creativity in possession. Of course, it’s hard to expect that. Going in, you don’t know your players and you are struggling to learn them. I imagine the same, to a far lesser extent, is true of the coach as well: he’s trying to figure out what he’s got.

As the season goes on, you get to see your team’s attempts to rectify the issues that everyone sees. NSC brought in Brandon Allen, the USL 2016 Rookie of the Year, the USL Cup Final MVP. You will see him come in, along with a creative winger Ismaila Jome, play refreshingly well, and then be sent to the bench to come on as a sub. You will see Ropapah Mensah get the playing time he deserves as the team slowly figures out how they work best offensively.

The first year is a learning experience for everyone. The team is learning how to play and how to improve. You’re learning how to be a fan. You’re learning the league and who your rivals are. Before the season started, I didn’t even know what teams I hated. I know at least three that I for sure hate now.

It’s an incredible experience, getting to root for a first-year team. You are literally in at the ground floor. You will grow and change along with the team. You get to see it’s first iteration and remember that when the team goes on to do new and exciting things. I’ll remember some of these players who played on the first ever version of the Nashville Soccer Club. I’ll remember Taylor Washington, the left back that my wife calls “Nugget.” I’ll remember Matt Pickens, who “saves to the left, he saves to the right.” I’ll remember Ropapah and how I, apparently, like it when you call me Ropapah. I’ll remember Ropapah scoring on the last kick of the game to give us the win over NC. I’ll remember Bourgeois scoring in the 114th minute against Cincinnati to send it to PKs in our first ever playoff game. I’ll also remember the Toronto FC physician casually walking all the way across the pitch with a smug smile when his services weren’t even needed, pausing to let his players drink water (the “injured” player was already on the sideline while the physician was around midfield having an impromptu water break).

These are all stories I’ll get to tell anyone who will listen one day. One day when my team has a history and has a legacy. And I’ll get to say I was a part of that legacy from the very beginning.

 

DISCLAIMER: Many people will say this wasn’t the first soccer team in Nashville, and I guess they’re technically right. We had a community-funded amateur soccer team. But this is the first professional soccer team in Nashville.