Plugged In: A Nashville Soccer Podcast

As Nashville SC's roster has been impacted by injuries and international play, several players have stepped up to show that they are more than rotational pieces. The guys discuss who they think have stepped up the most this summer, and talk about what the lineup may look like once the full squad is back and healthier (whenever that may be).  Listen to, rate and subscribe to Plugged In!

Time to open up the mailbag and get plugged in. Drake Hills and Nick Gray dive into readers' questions and talk about a stellar July for Nashville SC. Plus, they discuss when to expect some players to return from the Gold Cup and/or from injury, Jhonder Cadiz's place in the team and an intriguing Hany Mukhtar-related question. Listen to, rate and subscribe to Plugged In!

CF Monterrey striker Aké Loba has signed as Nashville SC's third designated player, and Plugged In hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray react to the news.  Loba's signing cost Nashville SC a reported club-record $6.8 million fee, and Loba will join Hany Mukhtar and on-loan striker Jhonder Cádiz as the club's designated players. What does all of this mean for the near future and long term for Nashville SC's forward group? How soon will Loba be in the lineup? Plus, it is a Nashville SC gameday, and a less-than-its-best Atlanta United comes to town. Listen to, rate and subscribe to Plugged In!

Nashville SC had two come-from-behind results last week, but can the Boys in Gold continue to get results this way? Hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray talk Toronto FC, CF Montreal and the upcoming Gold Cup, as well as Jhonder Cadiz's loan extension, the next match vs. Philadelphia Union and more. Listen to, subscribe and rate Plugged In!

Are Atlanta United and Nashville SC rivals already? Hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray examine. Plus, a preview of Saturday's match in Atlanta plus a quick look back at last week's Austin match. Listen to, rate and subscribe to Plugged In! Plus, check out https://www.tennessean.com/sports/nashvillesc/ for more Nashville SC coverage, including Drake's profile of Walker Zimmerman. https://www.tennessean.com/in-depth/sports/nashvillesc/2021/05/29/walker-zimmerman-nashville-sc-usmnt-background/5136700001/

Now an analyst for Fox Soccer, Cobi Jones is liking the route Nashville SC and Austin FC have taken as league newcomers.

Nashville SC earns its first win of 2021 in the final match of an opening four-match homestand to begin the MLS season. Hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray discuss how important it was for the Boys in Gold to earn three points and how important will be to maximize points in the near future. Plus, they talk strikers (surprise, I know) and the Columbus Crew's rebrand. Listen, rate and subscribe to Plugged in!

The theme for Nashville SC to begin the 2021 Major League Soccer has been underperformance, following three draws at Nissan Stadium. But that can come to an end with a win against the New England Revolution on Saturday. Co-hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray evaluate what is going right and going wrong while also looking ahead to the Revs on Saturday. Listen, rate, review and subscribe to Plugged In!

On Episode 3 of the Plugged In soccer podcast, co-host Drake Hills chats with ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman about Nashville SC and Inter Miami.

The first 20 or so minutes? Not so good. But the final hour of play for Nashville SC on Saturday showed some of the team's best qualities. Hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray break down Nashville SC's come-from-behind effort to draw 2-2 against FC Cincinnati to begin MLS play. Plus, the hosts are curious about something, and it has to do with the crowd on Saturday at Nissan Stadium.

Welcome back to Plugged In! Season 2 begins with a rundown of Nashville SC's abbreviated preseason, the ever-present No. 9 questions and a look through the first month of the schedule. Hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray disagree on the outlook of the first homestand of the season, and they also give their preseason Nashville SC and MLS picks. Subscribe, rate and listen to Plugged In: A Nashville Soccer Podcast!

Nashville SC's inaugural season is in the books, and it was an on-field success. Hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray evaluate the 2020 season and discuss the right back and striker outlooks heading into 2021. Plus, Drake makes bad choices in our 2020 superlatives, but on purpose I guess? Thanks for listening to Plugged In all season long! Rate and review below!

Nashville SC's first MLS Cup Playoffs run has reached three games following its 1-0 extra-time victory vs. Toronto FC. Hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray analyze the victory and the conference semifinal matchup against Columbus Crew. Will the Crew's issues with COVID-19 positive tests play a big role in the matchup? Or will the matchup take place on a day other than Sunday?

Nashville SC has clinched a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference MLS Cup Playoffs, but seeding is the name of the game in the final three matches of the regular season. What does Nashville SC have to do in order to avoid the first round? Plus, Jhonder Cádiz talk, the best XI heading into the playoffs and more Nashville SC discussion by hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray. Listen to, subscribe to and rate Plugged In!

Striker Jhonder Cádiz has arrived to Nashville and is in the process of going through quarantine and will be training with the team as early as next week. What will his impact be as the last month of the regular season approaches? Nashville SC also has several injured strikers and wingers. Will those ailments force Gary Smith to insert Cádiz into the lineup quicker and more often than he might want? Drake Hills and Nick Gray do a deep-dive on NSC's newest striker. Listen to, subscribe and rate Plugged In!

Nashville SC sits in ninth in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 10 games to go in the 2020 regular season. Unbeaten at home since the season's restart, continuing such form could lead Nashville to making MLS Cup playoffs. Will this feat for Nashville come to pass? Plugged In co-hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray break down the remaining games for Nashville in 2020, analyze which matchups are must-wins and discuss the importance for Nashville continuing its good form at Nissan Stadium. After listening to this episode, be sure to send us a review, subscribe and feel free to pose questions or comments. 

Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF dreamed of entering Major League Soccer in front of thousands of fans at their respective home stadiums. Fast forward into the pandemic-ridden 2020, and both clubs now compete home alone, as fans watch from their own abodes. Both 2020 MLS expansion clubs have shown glimpses of what can be two great franchises in American soccer's top tier. On the field, Nashville has stubbornly fought to stand in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, while Miami sit bottom at 14th. The former fields a team of MLS veterans, while the latter relies on promising international talent, mixed with world-renowned names. Off the field, Nashville has secured its soccer-specific stadium at the Fairgrounds, while Miami plays its home games temporarily at Inter Miami CF Stadium in nearby Fort Lauderdale. With Plugged In guest and Miami Herald reporter Michelle Kaufman, listen to this week's episode to hear more about the comparing and contrasting details between the expansion sides.

Nashville SC and Atlanta United caught the eyes of many in February, as they battled in front of 59,069 fans at Nissan Stadium. Off the field, the coronavirus pandemic has altered the pathways of both clubs. On it, a similar issue reigns problematic.  Not to mention, Pity Martinez scored both goals in its 2-0 win over Nashville Aug. 22. First reported by this episode's guest, Felipe Cardenas of The Athletic, Martinez has since departed MLS for Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, leaving Atlanta with goal boots to fill. Cardenas debuts this episode to talk about Atlanta's recent player transactions, goal production and the match against Nashville Saturday at Nissan Stadium (7:30 p.m; MyTV 30, 102.5 The Game).

Six months away from one's home is significant in any context. Nashville SC's return to Nissan Stadium Sunday since its debut Feb. 29 creates a pivotal talking point. With guest from MLSsoccer.com, Tom Bogert, Plugged In returns for a twelfth episode to discuss how Nashville managed its return against Inter Miami CF, assess player squad depth and how it can be a benefit during the rest of the season and to study the difference between an "organized" team and a "defensive-minded" team. This episode is hosted by Tennessean MLS reporter, Drake Hills.   

Drake Hills and Nick Gray analyze Nashville SC and Orlando City's match on Wednesday, playing while five other MLS matches were postponed after players declined to play in protest of racial injustices in response to Sunday's shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin by Kenosha police. Were the clubs doing their players a disservice by not informing them of what was going on across MLS? Then, Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes stops by to continue the discussion and look forward to Sunday's match against Inter Miami.

Drake Hills and Nick Gray react to Nashville SC's first MLS win, at FC Dallas. The guys talk about David Accam, the potential lineup changes for Sunday's match and FC Dallas fans' reaction to the teams kneeling during the national anthem in protest against police brutality of Black people in the United States. Listen, subscribe and rate Plugged In!

The MLS will be back very soon. On this week's 'Plugged In: A Nashville Soccer Podcast', hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray talk about Thursday's MLS is Back Tournament draw, which went nicely for Nashville SC. What are the benefits and concerns about next month's tournament? What should the expectations be for Nashville SC? Listen, subscribe and rate to Plugged In!

In this week's episode of Plugged In, Jacob Myers, the Columbus Crew beat writer for The Columbus Dispatch, joins the show to discuss the similarities and differences between the Crew's stadium construction and Nashville SC's, along with discussion on the status of the 2020 MLS season. Listen, rate and subscribe to Plugged In: A Nashville Soccer Podcast!

On this week's episode of Plugged In: A Nashville Soccer Podcast, hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray discuss a report from The Athletic detailing MLS's plans for a tournament in July in Orlando and a shortened regular season, with a nugget about Nashville SC reportedly changing conferences for the rest of 2020 under the proposed plan.

Will there be any more MLS games played in 2020? No one knows the answer, but hosts Drake Hills, Jaime Cardenas and Nick Gray give three separate points of view. Also, Chris Marrazzo, a member of Nashville SC supporter groups The Roadies and The Assembly, calls in to provide the point of view of a fan whose team began its inaugural season, then had its season halted two games in. Rate and subscribe to Plugged In!

We return with special guest and Nashville SC play-by-play voice John Freeman, who has been with the club since its first USL game. Freeman discusses his time calling games in the early 90s ⁠— virtual soccer games from a Sega Genesis as a kid — and his active involvement playing for a local Australian football team.  Then, hosts Drake Hills and Nick Gray discuss how outrageous it is that Nashville SC is not a playable team on free play in FIFA 20 and more about why they enjoy the beautiful game. Follow Drake (@LiveLifeDrake), Nick (@NGrayReporter) and John (@JohnFreemanTN) on Twitter! And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review!

Drake Hills and Nick Gray react to MLS suspending regular season play on Thursday for at least 30 days over coronavirus concerns.  The CDC recommends taking simple, everyday steps to avoid catching or spreading respiratory diseases, including the coronavirus (COVID-19). These include covering your cough or sneeze, disinfecting commonly used surfaces, and thoroughly washing or sanitizing your hands. Call your doctor if you feel sick, and stay home if you are sick. Get more information at CDC.gov/coronavirus.

Drake Hills, The Tennessean's Nashville SC and MLS reporter, and Nick Gray evaluate a tough 1-0 defeat for Nashville SC in Portland last week despite a strong showing. The pair also dishes on what they think can help Nashville SC's attack. What are the chances that Daniel Ríos enters the starting lineup on Saturday vs. Toronto FC?  

Episode 2 features discussion about Nashville SC's opening-game loss to Atlanta United with hosts Jaime Cardenas, Drake Hills and Nick Gray. Then, ESPN soccer reporter Jeff Carlisle evaluates the team's work on and off the field last weekend and looks ahead to Nashville SC's trip to Portland. 

On this episode, we talk with with Fox Soccer play-by-play announcer John Strong, who will be on the call for Saturday's match (7 p.m., Fox 17). Strong discusses soccer in Nashville and the dynamic between Nashville SC and Atlanta United as rivals heading into their first MLS tilt. Then, hosts Drake Hills, Jaime Cardenas and Nick Gray talk Nashville SC's preseason, what a successful expansion campaign looks like and expectations for the Nissan Stadium crowd at the season opener.

The MLS has arrived in Nashville and we are here to break it down for you.   Drake Hills, Nashville SC and Major League Soccer reporter for the Tennessean, sits down with USA Today Network journalists Jaime Cardenas and Nick Gray to discuss the latest soccer news, mixed with a little bit of spice and everything nice