Nashville SC vs. FC Cincinnati, Prediction, Preview and Odds - 4/17/21

Nashville SC plays host to FC Cincinnati in the season-opener for both teams, who have a combined three years in the league.

Nashville SC had a very successful MLS debut last season, as they had one of the best defensive teams in the league and won two rounds in the playoffs. The team spent some money in the off-season to improve the attack and all of the defensive core from last season is also back.

FC Cincinnati is in their third season in the MLS and the two seasons could not have been much worse. They have finished in the basement of the Eastern Division the last two seasons and Jaap Stam is now at the helm and he is already the fourth manager the team has had. The team broke the bank in the off-season and moves into a new stadium, so there is hope for the club.

This match will be held at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee and can be seen on ESPN+.

High Hopes in Nashville

Nashville advanced to the conference semifinals last season losing to Columbus and with the squad has high hopes this season. The team was led by a defense that gave up the third-fewest goals in the MLS anchored by 2020 Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman. The defense will be stout again this season and may be even better than last season, as 2020 SuperDraft No. 2 overall pick center back Jack Maher may have a breakout season after starting two games for the club last year.

The main issue for Nashville last season was their attack, as no player had more than five goals. Daniel Rios and Hany Mukhtar led the team with five goals apiece and in the off-season, the team went out and signed the strikers of Rodrigo Pineiro and CJ Sapong. Pineiro is a 21-year old from Uruguay, who has a lot of talent and a lot is expected of him this season. Sapong is a veteran and well-traveled striker that has 71 goals and 25 assists in 276 career MLS appearances.

Nowhere to Go But Up

Cincinnati has nowhere to go but up after finishing in last place in the East in their first two seasons in MLS. The club only scored 12 goals in 23 matches while giving up 36 goals. With their anemic offense last season Cincy broke the bank in the off-season signing striker Brenner, who is a 21-year old Brazilian with a ton of talent. The team shelled out $13 million for him and he showed flashes of brilliance last season with Brazil’s top tier club Sao Paulo, where he scored 11 goals and three assists in 27 matches. Cincinnati also brought in Luciano Acosta, who in 2018 was named to MLS Best XI after scoring 10 goals and adding 17 assists.

Jürgen Locadia had a bad first season for Cincy last year after he had a lot of hype coming to the club. He only scored one goal in 17 matches and he will be counted on for a bounce-back campaign. One of the bright spots for Cincy last season was MF Frankie Amaya, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 SuperDraft. He will be joined in the midfield by new addition former DC United star Luciano Acosta, who is back in the MLS after a year away.

Pick: Nashville -127

While this is the first-ever MLS match between these two teams they do have a regional rivalry that dates back to their days in the USL. Both teams made some big moves in the off-season but can the new-look attack for Cincy break the great Nashville defensive backline of Walker Zimmerman, Dave Romney, Dan Lovitz and GK Joe Willis? I would say no. Cincinnati will have a better attack than last season with the new additions, but it will take some time and facing one of the best defensive teams in the league in the opener is a tall task. Nashville will win this match in a defensive battle and while Cincy will put up a fight hey will start the 2021 MLS season with a loss.

Under 2.5 goals

I am leaning towards the Under in this match, as Nashville has a great defensive team but their attack may take some time to gel. The same goes for Cincinnati, as they have a new look attack with the additions they made in the off-season, but they also have issues on the defensive side of the field. However, they do have a good midfield and that is the reason they will make this game a tough one. Both clubs will play solid defense and the season-opener will be a low-scoring affair, which is why the Under is the pick.

Under 2.5 goals