The guys at Speedway Soccer Pod are back, this time they’ve got player ratings from Tuesday tough 2-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Make sure you go check out their latest episode here.

Matt Pickens – 6.5: Put in a really tough position when Hristov was played through, but dove in for the ball when Hristov was going away from goal. Could do absolutely nothing to prevent Woodberry’s own goal, and didn’t have much else to do.

Kosuke Kimura – 8.0: Despite the scoreline, had one of his better games of the year. Put in a gorgeous ball to Moloto at the back post and had more great service throughout the night.

Bradley Bourgeois – 7.0: Got caught high up the pitch when Reed went to clear a ball that Bourgeois was calling for and left a ton of space behind him. Other than that was solid until he was forced off by injury in the 53rd minute. The result may have been different had he been able to finish the game.

Liam Doyle – 6.5: Had a quieter night for the most part, but made a really poor decision to try and close down Poku, letting Hristov get in free on goal to set up the penalty kick. Other than that his biggest impact was blasting a free kick straight into the wall.

Justin Davis – 7.0: Pushed high all night and supported Winn really well. Not his most involved performance, but a mostly positive performance.

Lebo Moloto – 7.0: Took his goal brilliantly on a volley with his weak foot. Drifted in and out of the game, though, and never quite found a rhythm. Missed a header from point blank range from a fantastic Hume cross, and missed an empty net from close range in stoppage time after the keeper spilled the ball. Feels strange to give him a low mark after scoring a great goal, but if he’d taken his chances better Nashville would’ve walked away with a point.

Michael Reed – 6.0: Challenged for a ball that Bourgeois was calling for and gave it right to Poku, setting up their counter attack and penalty. Clearly misplayed a couple of easy passes and overall had a pretty quiet night.

Bolu Akinyode – 7.0: A pretty average performance by his standards. Moved the ball quickly and cleaned up messes, allowing Nashville to push high, especially in the first half when they were dominant.

Alan Winn – 7.5: Had a fantastic first half, consistently beating Gorskie and Taku on the left wing. Worked the ball really well around the 18 yard box and was key to several of Nashville’s best attacks. Faded in the second half and made way for Washington with 17 minutes to go.

Matt LaGrassa – 8.0: Played underneath Hume and looked much more comfortable centrally than he did on the wing vs North Carolina. At the heart of Nashville’s attack, worked the ball around well, and created several chances. One of the few positives in a disappointing result.

Tucker Hume – 6.0: Highly involved, not very efficient. Had several chances on goal. Two in particular he should have done better with, one a shot he put too close to the keeper from the top of the box, and another from inside the 6-yard-box where he tried to chip the keeper. If he’d kept it low and to either side of the keeper it was a certain goal. Got great service all night, and Nashville really needed better finishing to get a result. Replaced by Allen after 73 minutes.

SUBS

London Woodberry – 4.5: Replaced the injured Bourgeois after 53 minutes. Never really found the game with Nashville dominating possession in the other end, but handed Tampa three points with an awful own goal. Inexplicably tried to guide the ball wide of the post, and instead headed it straight into his own net. He looked devastated after the match, with good reason.

Taylor Washington – 6.5: Replaced Winn in the 73rd minute, and brought his customary high levels of energy, but never really got involved.

Brandon Allen – 6.0: Came on for Hume after 73 minutes, and only touched the ball 4 times in his 24 minutes on the pitch. Had a chance from close range deep into stoppage time, and put it straight at the keeper.

MANAGER

Gary Smith – 4.5: It may seem harsh to blame him when the team didn’t finish their chances, but his team has struggled to finish chances all year and haven’t shown any consistent signs of improvement. This game was absolutely a must-win for Nashville, and they couldn’t find a way to break through. A loss on Saturday will put Nashville’s playoff hopes in jeopardy, and should put Smith under significant pressure as well. He has to figure out a way to make this lifeless attack semi-functional if Nashville wants to get into the playoffs.