The Sports Inquirer

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Original Free Kick: Nashville SC opens MLS tenure with home opener against Atlanta United #sportsinquirer #atlutd #uniteandconquer — February 29, 2020

Original Free Kick: Nashville SC opens MLS tenure with home opener against Atlanta United #sportsinquirer #atlutd #uniteandconquer

Atlanta United player Jeff Larentowicz
Photo credit: Atlanta United Communications

By E. Marcel Pourtout

Nashville SC makes it Major League Soccer (MLS) debut Feb. 29 when it hosts Atlanta United at Nissan Stadium.
Nashville has spent the previous two seasons in the United Soccer League (USL) in preparation for its stint in the top professional soccer league in the United States. The team enters MLS as an expansion franchise.
“You’ve got to think about pretty much everything that any team that exists at the moment has,” manager Gary Smith said according to the Nashville’s website. “They have an identity, they have a home that maybe they’ve played in for x amount of years that they can understand and appreciate and get the best out of. Everyone wants a home field advantage. I would say we don’t have a brand-new fanbase because we had a nice core of fans last year, but if we’re expecting upwards of maybe 50,000 at the weekend, there’s a heck of a lot of fans there that maybe haven’t watched a Nashville SC team play, certainly not an MLS team.”
Nashville acquired several MLS veterans this past off-season including defender Walker Zimmerman from LAFC and midfielder Dax McCarthy from the Chicago Fire.
Atlanta enters its fourth year in MLS coming off of a 2019 campaign which saw it post 58 points in the regular season and advancement to the Eastern Conference finals in the playoffs.
“We have to wait and see how Nashville plays,” Atlanta manager Frank de Boer said about preparing for a first-time opponent. “For them it’s something new and they may be a little nervous. We have a lot of respect for them to put together something nice together on the pitch because it’s their home first game. There will be a lot of attention so we have to be prepared and play our own game.”
Atlanta returns four MLS All-Stars in midfielders Pity Martinez and Ezequiel Barco as well as goalkeeper Brad Guzan and forward Josef Martinez. Atlanta won the second leg of its first-round CONCACAF Champions League match against FC Motagua 3-0 Feb. 26 ahead of its MLS opener.

Fighting Peaches: Georgia State basketball Rob Lanier post-Georgia Southern presser (2.28.20) #sportsinquirer #gsupanthers #lightitblue #ourcity #sunbelt — February 28, 2020

Fighting Peaches: Georgia State basketball Rob Lanier post-Georgia Southern presser (2.28.20) #sportsinquirer #gsupanthers #lightitblue #ourcity #sunbelt

Georgia State men’s basketball head coach Rob Lanier
Photo credit: Georgia State Athletics

The Sports Inquirer attended the presser of Georgia State men’s basketball head coach Rob Lanier following the team’s 79-70 home defeat to Georgia Southern in Sun Belt play Feb. 28.

Topics included Georgia State lack of effort, shooting struggles, Georgia Southern’s interior advantage in the paint and preparing to host Arkansas Little Rock in the conference regular season finale Mar. 3.

Original Free Kick: Atlanta United Fernando Meza pre-Nashville SC road presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #atlutd #uniteandconquer #mls #majorleaguesoccer —

Original Free Kick: Atlanta United Fernando Meza pre-Nashville SC road presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #atlutd #uniteandconquer #mls #majorleaguesoccer

Detail shots of the King’s Kit during the 2020 Atlanta United Media Day Content Carwash at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, GA, on Friday January 17, 2020. (Photo by Jacob Gonzalez/Atlanta United)

The Sports Inquirer attended the presser of Atlanta United player Fernando Meza following his team’s practice Feb. 27.

Topics included Atlanta facing Club America in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, playing at Estadio Azteca, adjusting to Atlanta United and learning English, working alongside Pity Martinez, Josef Martinez and Ezequiel Barco and preparing for the team’s MLS opener at Nashville SC Feb. 29.

Fighting Peaches: Georgia Tech basketball Josh Pastner pre-Miami home presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #builtdifferent #togetherweswarm #acc #accbasketball —

Fighting Peaches: Georgia Tech basketball Josh Pastner pre-Miami home presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #builtdifferent #togetherweswarm #acc #accbasketball

Georgia Tech men’s basketball head coach Josh Pastner
Photo credit: Georgia Tech Athletics

The Sports Inquirer attended the presser of Georgia Tech men’s basketball head coach Josh Pastner before his team’s practice Feb. 27.

Topics included the Yellow Jackets 68-59 home win over Clemson Feb. 25, the form of senior forward/center James Banks III, staying in the top half of the competitive ACC and Georgia Tech’s push for a bid in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT. The Yellow Jackets host Miami Feb. 29.

Fighting Peaches: Georgia Tech James Banks III pre-Miami home presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #builtdifferent #togetherweswarm #acc #accbasketball —

Fighting Peaches: Georgia Tech James Banks III pre-Miami home presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #builtdifferent #togetherweswarm #acc #accbasketball

Georgia Tech men’s basketball player James Banks III
Photo credit: Georgia Tech Athletics

The Sports Inquirer attended the presser of Georgia Tech men’s basketball player James Banks III before his team’s practice Feb. 27.

Topics with the senior forward/center included him not fouling out of the Yellow Jackets 68-59 home win over Clemson Feb. 25 in which he grabbed eight rebounds and a career-high four steals, Georgia Tech’s different defensive sets and wearing protective eye wear. The Yellow Jackets host Miami Feb. 29.

Original Free Kick: Atlanta United Frank de Boer pre-Nashville road presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #atlutd #uniteandconquer #mls #majorleaguesoccer — February 27, 2020

Original Free Kick: Atlanta United Frank de Boer pre-Nashville road presser (2.27.20) #sportsinquirer #atlutd #uniteandconquer #mls #majorleaguesoccer

Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer
Photo credit: Atlanta United Communications

The Sports Inquirer attended the presser of Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer following his team’s practice Feb. 27.

Topics included Atlanta facing Club America in the upcoming quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, an injury update on Miles Robinson and George Bello and the team preparing for its MLS opener at Nashville SC Feb. 29.