5 things we learned from Nashville SC's preseason games

Nashville SC finished its 2024 preseason with 1-1 draw against Memphis 901 FC on Feb. 15. Now, it's time for the regular season, which begins with Thursday's CONCACAF Champions Cup opener at Moca FC (6 p.m. CT) and Sunday's MLS opener at Geodis Park against the New York Red Bulls (4 p.m., Apple TV+).

With the obvious caveat that preseason games are preseason games, here's what we've learned about Nashville before its most pivotal season as a Major League Soccer franchise:

Sam Surridge's time is now

While Hany Mukhtar has been the most productive attacker in MLS since 2021, with 54 goals and 34 assists over that time, Nashville has yet to find a prolific striker to pair with him.

Jhonder Cadiz and Ake Loba never panned out: The two designated players combined for eight goals in 72 matches with Nashville. C.J. Sapong scored 12 goals his first season but hadn't found the net in 27 games when he was traded to Toronto FC last April. Teal Bunbury is more of a depth piece at this point in his career.

For Nashville to reach its potential, Sam Surridge has to live up to the expectations that Cadiz and Loba could not. The 3-2 win over Birmingham Legion FC on Feb. 7 gave a glimpse at what that could look like. Nashville's wide players peppered the box with crosses for the 6-foot-3 Surridge to get his head on, and he took advantage with a pair of goals.

Nashville coach Gary Smith thinks the preseason did wonders for Surridge, who had little time to adjust after he joined the team last July.

“He definitely has a much greater understanding and footing in the group," Smith said Thursday. "... He feels far more confident about where he’s going to be, what sort of areas he needs to be getting into."

Tyler Boyd fits right in

Like Surridge, Boyd, who came to Nashville in a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy in December, was acquired with the intention of jump-starting an offense that tied for 22nd in MLS with 39 goals.

Boyd scored one goal during the preseason and had a hand in multiple others. While he'll likely start on the right wing, the United States national team veteran filled in capably at Mukhtar's playmaking No. 10 spot in a win over Sporting Kansas City.

"The locker room is one of the best I've ever been in," Boyd told the Tennessean. "I feel blessed to be here. The way they welcomed me has made it a very easy transition."

Jacob Shaffelburg is progressing

Shaffelburg tied Surridge for the team lead with two goals during the preseason. In addition to those goals and the penalty he drew Thursday, he had a cross which led to a goal in a win over Sporting Kansas City.

After the Kansas City game, Smith described Shaffelburg's play style as "1,000 miles an hour, all the time," but said that can hurt him in addition to opponents. While Shaffelburg's speed can lead to highlight-reel moments, the challenge for him throughout his time in Nashville has been stringing those moments together and finding ways to contribute when he's not flying past the back line.

"Lot of exciting points in his game," Smith said. "... When he's not in those exciting positions, what does his general play look like? How is he connecting? What do those choices look like? How is he managing the game? ... He's slowly but surely coming around."

Nashville has speed, athleticism galore

With Boyd, Shaffelburg and new acquisition McKinze Gaines, who projects to come off the bench, Nashville's pace and skill on the flanks was evident throughout the preseason. That's useful for an organized defensive team that wants to hit teams on the counterattack and relies heavily on crosses.

But Nashville didn't just upgrade its athleticism up top. Dru Yearwood, who arrived in a trade with the New York Red Bulls in December, made an impact as a box-to-box midfielder, and even slotted into Mukhtar's role for a stretch against Birmingham.

Boyd, Gaines and Yearwood are 29, 25 and 24, respectively. Nashville had the oldest roster in MLS last season with an average age close to 30, and tired legs appeared to be a factor as the team didn't score a goal in eight of its final 12 games.

Are mistakes a sign of things to come?

Memphis scored its lone goal Thursday after Anibal Godoy lost possession on the edge of the Nashville box. According to Smith, the normally steady midfielder suffered from "a little bit of overconfidence," and it cost Nashville dearly.

Against Birmingham, keeper Joe Willis allowed a seemingly routine long shot to fly through his hands and into the net. Birmingham scored its second goal when it caught Nashville sleeping in transition.

MORE: Nashville SC signs midfielder Isaiah Jones as club's second homegrown player

While Nashville finished the preseason with nine goals and scored in all five of its matches, it didn't record a single shutout, either. That's uncharacteristic for a team that tied with the Seattle Sounders for the fewest goals conceded last season (32) and has never had anything less than a stout defense under Smith.

"We've given away some very, very cheap goals in preseason," Smith said. "I know we're better than that."

Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC: 5 things we learned from the preseason