Being a first-year expansion team in MLS is a uniquely difficult challenge, and Nashville SC head coach Gary Smith knows it. There are a host of off-the-field items that need to be taken care of by the front office and coaching staff. Adjusting to the differences in roster rules and player designations between USL and MLS, moving through the different roster-building mechanisms that MLS offers and recruiting players to join an expansion roster are just a few offseason priorities.



Tasks that shape the team on the field also need to be prepared ahead of preseason. That includes crafting a tactical identity, watching film and planning training sessions.



“To be perfectly honest, I’ve always been a man of balance,” Smith told The Athletic, analyzing his personal tactical philosophy. “What I want is a group that is capable of fulfilling numerous facets of the game. I think you’ve seen with our recruitment that we are a well-balanced...