Beasts of the Southeast: Nashville on top and Orlando on the rise
By Rylee McKinney (@rylees_roster)
With the FIFA World Cup briefly pausing the MLS Regular Season, this column finally returns from its hiatus. Since late July, 10 matchdays have passed, and 11 more remain before MLS Playoff action.
Here is a look at how MLS's Southeastern teams performed during July/August regular season play:
BOTSE Player of the Month - Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City SC)
It is hard to look past what Antoine Griezmann has done since officially joining Orlando City.
The French superstar arrived in Orlando following the World Cup break and quickly became the focal point of the Lions' attack.
Griezmann's biggest performance came on August 22nd, when he scored twice to lead Orlando to a 2-1 comeback victory over Real Salt Lake. His performance even earned him MLS Player of the Matchday, making him just the eighth former World Cup winner to receive the award.
Nashville SC
Record all-comps since July/August: 6W - 1L - 1D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 1st
If there was any question about whether Nashville SC could maintain its incredible first-half pace, the Boys in Gold answered it emphatically.
Nashville opened its post-World Cup schedule with consecutive 1-0 victories over Atlanta United and CF Montreal before falling 1-0 to Orlando City on July 25. The club then began August with a 2-2 draw against DC United before going on an absolute tear.
Nashville defeated Inter Miami 4-1, New York Red Bulls 1-0, Columbus Crew 3-2 and FC Cincinnati 4-0 to close out August.
That final victory was particularly impressive. The 4-0 win over Cincinnati gave Nashville a 16-2-4 record through 22 matches and 52 points, the best start through 22 games in MLS history. Nashville also became just the second team in league history to reach 11 wins through its first 12 home matches.
Nashville is no longer simply having a good season. The Boys in Gold are putting together one of the most dominant regular seasons in MLS history.
Depth chart
September schedule
Friday, September 4, 7:30 PM (ET) at NYCFC (0-0 Draw)
Wednesday, September 9, 7:30 PM (ET) at Toronto FC (2-1 Loss)
Saturday, September 12, 7:30 PM (ET) at Inter Miami CF
Saturday, September 19, 9:30 PM (ET) vs Chicago Fire
Saturday, September 26, 8:30 PM (ET) vs Toronto FC
Inter Miami CF
Record all-comps since July/August: 4W - 2L - 2D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 3rd
The Herons returned from the World Cup break with wins over Chicago and Montreal before drawing Columbus to open August.
Then everything began to unravel.
Miami suffered a 4-1 loss to Nashville, drew Philadelphia 2-2, lost 2-1 to Toronto and eventually bounced back with a dominant 7-1 victory over Montreal.
The 4-1 loss to Nashville was especially concerning. Miami struggled to contain Nashville's attack and entered a difficult stretch of the season without the same consistency it displayed earlier in the campaign.
On the managerial side, however, Inter Miami reached an agreement with Cristian "Kily" Gonzalez to become the club's new head coach, ending Guillermo Hoyos' run as interim manager.
The coaching change came after a difficult stretch for the Herons, who were eliminated from the Leagues Cup during the group stage and struggled to find consistency in MLS.
Miami still has arguably the highest ceiling of any team in the Southeast, but the Herons have become much less predictable. With a new head coach arriving, the final stretch of the regular season could determine whether Miami looks like an MLS Cup favorite or simply another playoff team.
Depth chart
September schedule
Saturday, September 5, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Atlanta United (2-2 Draw)
Wednesday, September 9, 8:30 PM (ET) at Chicago Fire (1-1 Draw)
Saturday, September 12, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Nashville SC
Wednesday, September 16, TBD (Campeones Cup Final)
Sunday, September 20, 7:00 PM (ET) vs San Diego
Sunday, September 27, 7:00 PM (ET) at Columbus Crew
Charlotte FC
Record all-comps since July/August: 4W - 1L - 2D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 10th
The Crown returned to MLS action with a 2-2 draw against Atlanta United before traveling to New York and defeating the Red Bulls 2-0.
After a 2-1 loss to Chicago to open August, Charlotte responded with a 3-1 win over Columbus, a 3-3 draw against Toronto and a 3-1 victory over DC United.
Then, Charlotte traveled to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 29 and defeated Atlanta United 2-0, extending its winning streak against Atlanta on the road to four straight matches.
A major reason for Charlotte's turnaround has been its newest Designated Player.
On July 13, Charlotte officially announced the signing of former Premier League winger Allan Saint-Maximin to a three-year DP contract through the 2028-29 season.
Saint-Maximin immediately brought another dimension to Charlotte's attack. Against Atlanta, the French winger recorded two assists and helped create both of Charlotte's goals.
Charlotte's first half of the season feels like a distant memory. The Crown looks more dangerous, more confident and deeper than it did before the World Cup break.
Depth chart
September schedule
Saturday, September 5, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Houston Dynamo (0-0 Draw)
Wednesday, September 9, 7:30 PM (ET) at Montreal (2-1 Win)
Saturday, September 12, 7:30 PM (ET) at FC Cincinnati
Saturday, September 19, 7:30 PM (ET) at DC United
Saturday, September 26, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Chicago Fire
Orlando City SC
Record all-comps since July/August: 4W - 2L - 1D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 20th
The Lions opened their post-break schedule with back-to-back wins, defeating San Jose Earthquakes 4-0 before beating Nashville 1-0 at home.
After losing 3-2 to the Red Bulls on Aug. 1, Orlando picked up a 1-1 draw against FC Cincinnati and a 2-1 loss to Chicago.
But the Lions responded with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Aug. 22 before drawing Minnesota 3-3 to close the month.
The biggest change, of course, has been Griezmann.
The French World Cup winner officially joined Orlando following the conclusion of his time with Atletico Madrid, giving the Lions another elite attacking option alongside Ojeda and Pasalic.
Griezmann's impact was immediate, but his two-goal performance against Real Salt Lake showed just how much he can change Orlando's ceiling.
The biggest question now is whether Orlando can keep its defensive issues under control.
Depth chart
September schedule
Saturday, September 5, 7:30 PM (ET) vs San Diego (1-0 Win)
Wednesday, September 9, 7:30 PM (ET) at Atlanta United (3-2 Win)
Saturday, September 12, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Toronto FC
Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 PM (ET) at Columbus (US Open Cup)
Saturday, September 19, 7:30 PM (ET) at New England Revolution
Saturday, September 26, 7:30 PM (ET) at Philadelphia Union
Atlanta United
Record all-comps since July/August: 3W - 3L - 1D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 28th
Atlanta United's post-World Cup run has been a roller coaster.
The Five Stripes opened the second half of the season with a 1-0 loss to Nashville, followed by a 2-2 draw against Charlotte and a 4-1 loss to New England.
Things did not immediately improve in August. Atlanta lost 3-2 to Philadelphia before finally turning things around with three consecutive victories.
A 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls was followed by another 2-1 victory against Minnesota United and a 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City.
Then Charlotte came to town. The Crown handed Atlanta a 2-0 defeat on Aug. 29, snapping the Five Stripes' three-game winning streak.
Miguel Almiron remained one of the biggest bright spots during the stretch. The Atlanta captain continued to produce and even became the club's all-time assist leader during August.
However, Atlanta also lost a major attacking piece during the summer when Emmanuel Latte Lath departed on loan to Union Berlin, leaving Almiron and Alexey Miranchuk as key pieces of the attack.
Atlanta has shown flashes of being a playoff-caliber team, but consistency remains the biggest issue. Three straight wins proved what this group can do, but the loss to Charlotte showed there is still work to be done.
Depth chart
September schedule
Saturday, September 5, 7:30 PM (ET) at Inter Miami (2-2 Draw)
Wednesday, September 9, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Orlando City (3-2 Loss)
Saturday, September 12, 7:30 PM (ET) at DC United
Saturday, September 19, 10:30 PM (ET) at Portland
Saturday, September 26, 7:30 PM (ET) vs NYCFC
DC United
Record all-comps since July/August: 1W - 2L - 3D
Current place in MLS Supporters’ Shield: 26th
DC United may have had the quietest summer of the six Southeast clubs, but there were still some promising signs.
The Black-and-Red opened the post-break schedule with a 1-1 draw against Houston before defeating Toronto 2-1 on July 25.
August began with one of the more impressive comeback results of the month.
DC fell two goals behind Nashville before battling back for a 2-2 draw.
DC then drew Montreal 1-1 before falling 3-0 to New England and 3-1 to Charlotte.
The Black-and-Red finished August on a positive note, however, holding LAFC to a 0-0 draw at a sold-out Audi Field.
Louis Munteanu has continued to emerge as one of DC's most important players. The 23-year-old scored his sixth goal of the season against Charlotte and has provided a consistent attacking threat throughout the summer.
DC also made several roster moves during the summer, including acquiring Salvadoran forward Nathan Ordaz from LAFC and adding Japanese midfielder/defender Kimito Nono.
DC United remains in the playoff hunt, but the club needs to turn draws into wins. The defensive performances against Nashville and LAFC showed the potential is there, but the attack has to become more consistent.
Depth chart
September schedule
Saturday, September 5 at FC Cincinnati (Postponed)
Wednesday, September 9, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Columbus Crew (2-1 Win)
Saturday, September 12, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Atlanta United
Saturday, September 19, 7:30 PM (ET) vs Charlotte FC
Saturday, September 26, 10:20 PM (ET) at Vancouver
