Nashville SC couldn't get a result on their first West Coast trip of 2025, falling 3-0 to the Seattle Sounders after conceding three goals in 15 minutes.
Head coach BJ Callaghan spoke to the media after the match, as well as defender Chris Applewhite, who made his MLS debut in the second half.
Transcript
BJ Callaghan
Ben Wright (SixOneFive Soccer): Yeah, BJ, I'm curious for your thoughts on the first 15 minutes. It felt like you guys were able to create chances and kind of keep Seattle pinned back. And then just what changed after the first goal? It felt like momentum completely shifted and didn't really swing back your guys way after that.
BJ Callaghan (Nashville SC): Yeah, I think that's fair. I thought we started off pretty well in the first 15 minutes. You know, kind of had a couple opportunities there. They're able to kind of come and get a chance on us and go up 1-0. From there, I think it's a combination of things. I don't think we handled our defensive shape well enough, and sort of being able to, I would say, control the wide areas. And they kind of dominated us from there and I think it was a part of us... I don't think we had a great response after that either.
So, I think there's going to be a lot of opportunity to kind of learn from this, the experience coming out here against a really good team. I mean, I think we have to give Seattle a lot of credit as well, as much as maybe we didn't have our best game. I thought they played really well. They competed really well, especially through the midfield. So, you know, disappointed. Everybody in the locker room is disappointed, but I think for us, there'll be a lot of opportunities to learn and bounce back.
Wright: Yeah, and then I wanted to ask about two lineup choices, switching Patrick [Yazbek] and Eddi [Tagseth] in the starting lineup, and then just the rationale behind the changes at halftime and what the plan was there.
Callaghan: Yeah, just I mean, for us, it was just Eddi and Patrick just kind of getting a rotation going. Eddi puts in a lot of miles on his on his body. So I thought we thought it was an opportunity to kind of give Patrick an opportunity, a chance to play, and and go from there. So nothing more than a little bit of squad rotation.
At halftime, we changed the shape. So a lot of those changes that were were tactical were tactical to get Josh Bauer on the field to go to a five in the back to try to get Jacob Shaffelburg on the field to get us three up front and something that could, you know, potentially try to stretch behind them.
Jacob Shames (The Tennessean): Yeah, BJ. Chris Applewhite made his MLS debut today for you guys. I guess what is what did that moment mean for him? And I guess what were you looking to see from him and what did you see from him?
Callaghan: Yeah, listen, anytime we can give a young player a debut, it's a big opportunity. It's something that Chris has earned. It wasn't given to him. I think it's something that today, even though the result didn't go away, the entire club can be proud of, you know, a player that came through the academy, came through the second team and now made his first team debut.
I think for me, what he was able to do is a difficult situation. He was certainly challenged. He took the information onto the field. I think he showed that he was composed on the ball. And I thought for his first time playing, he made a good first impression.
Shames: And after a loss like this, do you anticipate there to be maybe more competition for roles or maybe more fluidity in maybe your line of choice is going into next week than there normally is? Or does that say the same?
Callaghan: I mean, we kind of have the same process week in and week out to evaluate the game and have competition in the group. When you don't put in a good performance, obviously that's part of our process in, in evaluating, but we'll go through it starting tonight and kind of get back at it next week. We'll put the best team out there versus Chicago when we come back home at Geodis.
Valair Shabilla (SixOneFive Soccer): BJ, you mentioned the shape change in the second half and going to a back five or three, however you want to say it. But did you get what you wanted from that shape? Did you see the results of that change?
Callaghan: Yeah, it's hard to change it, right? It's on the fly and do it. I thought the guys settled into it decently.
It was for us to try to eliminate some of the ability to play out in the wide areas and get some pressure earlier to the ball. Overall, I think it neutralized it for a period of time. And, you know, once the game opens up, we're trying to go for goals and they're counter-attacking. So then the game gets more transitional at that moment. And I would still say we needed to, after the first 15 minutes and beyond, we still needed to be much better in both transition phases.
Shabilla: And just on the three goals that you conceded, they came in a short period of time, you know, 15 minutes or so, I think, in three goals. Is that, from your end, just individual mistakes here and there, or is it something that structurally you guys need to work at?
Callaghan: I don't really know how to answer that question. Structurally, we can see the goals and transition tonight off of turnovers. Collectively as a group we need to be better in those moments.
I think we missed opportunities to execute in offensive transition as well. Everyone's going to attack, everyone's going to defend, and we're going to win as a group and we're going to lose as a group. We're going to constantly continue to just try to improve and get better.
Chris Applewhite
Chris Applewhite (Nashville SC): It was a great feeling [making my debut]. Obviously not the result we wanted, but it was obviously a great feeling for me to come into the game, get my debut, something I feel like I worked really hard for, and I'm super grateful to the coaches for giving me the opportunity.
So I mean, extremely grateful. It was really exciting being out there.
Wright: Chris, congrats on making your debut. I remember when we talked in preseason, that was your number one goal for this year, so I'm curious getting on the field and playing against a guy like Jordan Morris, obviously been one of the best goal scores in MLS. How did you feel like you did and how do you feel like you're able to do at this level?
Applewhite: Yeah, I think it was a really good challenge going into the game. I knew my matchup was going to be Jordan Morris and like you said, he's a very prolific scorer and a strong, fast attacker. So I think I held my own, you know, I'm coming into my first game. I think there's a few learning opportunities, but for the most part, I think I did pretty good.
Wright: Going from here, what is kind of the next goal for you in your continued development with Nashville?
Applewhite: I think just continuing to prove myself, trying to get as much involvement with the first team as possible and contribute to the team success as much as I can, do as much for this team as I can so that we can make it as far as possible.
Shames: Chris, I guess how would you just rate your own performance this season with here with Nashville, making your debut and then with Huntsville as well. How would you evaluate the way you've played so far?
Applewhite: I think it's been a good start to the season for me. I think there's still many areas of opportunity that I can continue to work on. I like to focus a lot on the process. So I think taking it day by day in training, and then on match day trying to show my worth and show my value and contribute to the team as much as possible. That's pretty much my goal. But I would say I think it's been a good start to the year.
Shabilla: Yeah, Chris, I know you've made the bench a couple of times this season already for Nashville. Did you know that tonight was going to be your debut?
Applewhite: I did not. It was kind of one thing I was warming up and my name got called. So I mean, being on the bench, I'm obviously ready to go into the field as needed. And today, just being prepared for when my name is called. I don't think you really know when that moment will come, but I think the most important thing is being ready. And I tried my best to do that.
Shabilla: And then just speaking on that, I know it was a small or a short cameo, but did you notice any big differences between MLS level and MLS NEXT Pro or Academy and all the other levels you've really played at?
Applewhite: I've been adjusting to the first team environment just in training, but obviously like Ben mentioned earlier, the players get to play against Jesús Ferreira and Jordan Morris. So the quality of players are much higher at this level. And I think that will be probably the biggest that I had to make.
