As first reported by SocTakes’s Nipun Chopra, Nashville SC has added a former MLS player to its roster for the remainder of the 2018 season:

.@soctakes understands that a number of @TheMiamiFC players will leave the club now that the @NPSLSoccer season is over. The 1st will be winger/forward Kris Tyrpak who will join @NashvilleSC this week. Tyrpak has previously played for Chivas, SAFC, Austin Aztex and Swope. — Nipun Chopra, PhD (@NipunChopra7) August 7, 2018

Tyrpak played nine games for Chivas USA in 2014, scoring one goal. In the time since, he’s suited up mostly for teams in his home state of Texas: in 2015 with USL’s Austin Aztex and the the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions, and 2017 through the first six games of this year with San Antonio FC (where NSC midfielder Michael Reed was his captain last season, so that’ll be a repeat for Tyrpak this year). He signed with the NASL’s Miami FC, which fielded a “2” team in the NPSL. Now that the NPSL season has ended – with Tyrpak helping lead the team to a national title – he’s headed to Nashville. (The other year in there was a 2016 spent with Swope Park Rangers).

What sort of player is Tyrpak? At 5-11, 154 pounds, he’s not exactly a physical intimidator, but like Winn or Moloto, his speed and/or technique can be a more important factor. As a pure goal-getter, though, there’s going to be something lost with the lack of size against some of the best defenses (he’s a good player for this level, not a Landon Donovan-type talent). A 26-year old, he’s fairly young with five years of professional experience already under his belt. He’s not a young, developmental guy, though. He’s one brought in to win now.

Let’s take a look at the film. This is just a highlight reel, but if you search him on YouTube, there are plenty of single-play videos, as well:

What sort of player is that? I see a true finisher who can create for himself a bit, and also has the speed to contribute as a forward or a winger. That’s a combination of skillsets that Nashville doesn’t have in a single player yet, and… exactly what the team needs, yes?

A hybrid of Lebo Moloto with more pure finishing style (a la Allen) and some decent speed (not Alan Winn, Taylor Washington, or Ish Jome fast, but maybe faster than the majority of other offensive personnel) could help open up the offense quite a bit more.

Let’s take a look at some of the stats, restricting it to the USL:

2018 (SAFC) – Six games, nine shots (five on-goal), one goal. 65.5% pass success rate. Eight key passes, one assist.

2017 (SAFC) – 27 games played, 38 total shots (14 on-target), six goals scored. 64.1% pass success rate, 21 key passes, three assists.

2016 (Swope) – 32 games played (worth noting he was subbed off 19 times in 25 starts), 10 goals scored. Two assists. (He also made a Concacaf Champions League appearance for Sporting Kansas City).

That Swope Park connection is important for two reasons: first, it’s been one of the USL’s more successful teams since joining (runners-up in each of the past two years, including when Tyrpak was the second-leading scorer in ’16), and perhaps more so we’ve seen Technical Director Mike Jacobs show a desire to sign guys he’s worked with in the past – including Lebo Moloto, who was on last year’s Swope side.

As you can see, Tyrpak is a goal-getter to a large extent, but not a club-changer except in the right situation… so is Nashville the right situation? It could be. With the caveat that we said the same things about the signing of Brandon Allen, this fills a specific need on the roster, and in a more versatile overall package. I see him slotting in at forward and both wings, and potentially as a bit more of a No. 10 or withdrawn forward (where we’ve seen Moloto at times) with a hold-up player along with him.

On a similar note, Nashville still hasn’t signed (or at least announced a signing) anyone with the international slot they acquired from St. Louis FC. We shall see if they do, but Tyrpak doesn’t require one as a domestic player, so that asset is still out there.