Nashville Metros

Last updated
Nashville Metros
Nashville Metros logo 2012.png
Full nameNashville Metros
Nickname(s)The Metros
Founded1989
Dissolved2012
Stadium Ezell Park
Nashville, Tennessee
Capacity5,000
Owners Lynn Agee
Martin Maciel
Devinder Sandhu
Head Coach Brent Goulet (final)
League Premier Development League
2012 (final)4th, South Atlantic
Playoffs: DNQ
Website http://www.metrossoccer.com
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

The Nashville Metros were an American soccer team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1989, the team most recently played in the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The Metros were the longest continuously operating soccer club in the United Soccer Leagues before their last season in 2012.

Contents

In the side's later years its home games were contested at Ezell Park and E. S. Rose Park.

History

Original logo Nashville-Metros.png
Original logo

The Nashville Metros were founded by Lynn Agee and Devinder Sandhu and began indoor play in the Sunbelt Independent Soccer League in 1990. Due to a lack of facilities, the team played their entire first season on the road, before settling in Smyrna. The Metros continued to play indoors until 1996, but only won six matches in six seasons. During much of the same period, the outdoor team played in the USL's amateur Premier League with significantly better results. Nashville's first winning season came in 1995 with a 12–6 record and their first playoff appearance. The 1996 team witnessed the Metros' Pasi Kinturi score a league-leading 19 goals as he was named that season's league MVP.

The Metros moved up to the second division A-League in 1997. After several years of playing at various high school and municipal stadiums in Nashville and Franklin, the team settled into their new home at Ezell Park. Nashville made their first U.S. Open Cup appearance in the 1998 tournament where they routed the third division Delaware Wizards before advancing to face the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. A heavy underdog, the Metros pulled off the upset of the tournament with a victory over the first division club in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Nashville eventually fell in the quarterfinals to MLS' Dallas Burn.

In 1999 due to financial circumstances, the club was forced to reorganize. The side was renamed the Tennessee Rhythm and moved from Nashville to Franklin, but returned to their original venue in 2001, reverting to their original name at the same time. This time period featured an unsuccessful rematch against the Dallas Burn in the 2000 U.S. Open Cup and a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2001 tournament. In 2002 the Metros moved down from the A-League to the Premier Development League, mainly due to Ezell Park's substandard facilities, such as the lack of a press box.

Beginning with their first playoff appearance in 1994, Nashville made eight postseason trips over the next 11 years.

Players

Final roster

Source [1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
0 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA James Holt [2]
2 DF Flag of The Gambia.svg  GAM Sambou Tamba [3]
3 DF Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  CIV Beh Leandre Pacome
4 DF Flag of The Gambia.svg  GAM Samba Amadou Bah
5 DF Flag of Nigeria.svg  NGA Gift Ndam [4]
6 MF Flag of The Gambia.svg  GAM Ebrima Njie
7 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Elijah Yazdani
8 MF Flag of The Gambia.svg  GAM Mandou Bojang
9 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Kieran McFadden
10 FW Flag of Mexico.svg  MEX Francisco Maciel [5]
11 MF Flag of Peru (state).svg  PER Edwin Bryan
12 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Nick Dykes [6]
No.Pos.NationPlayer
13 DF Flag of Guyana.svg  GUY Jomo Cromwell
14 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA William Dugger
15 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Osiris Valle
16 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Stefan Vaziri [7]
17 FW Flag of Somalia.svg  SOM Omar Abdiaziz
18 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA J. J. Jackson
19 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Matthew Reed [8]
29 FW Flag of Peru (state).svg  PER Victor Galicia [9]
77 MF Flag of Kenya.svg  KEN Abdikadir N Mohamed
20 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jose Cardenas
21 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Keegan Terry [10]
23 FW Flag of The Gambia.svg  GAM Malang Fatty
30 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jordan Werner [11]

Notable former players

This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.

Year-by-year

YearDivisionLeagueRegular SeasonPlayoffsOpen Cup
1991N/ASISL4th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not enter
1992N/AUSISL5th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not enter
1993N/AUSISL6th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not enter
19943USISL5th, MidsouthDivisional SemifinalsDid not enter
19954USISL Premier3rd, EasternDivisional SemifinalsDid not qualify
19964USISL Premier4th, Eastern NorthernDivision FinalsDid not qualify
19972USISL A-League2nd, CentralDivision SemifinalsDid not qualify
19982USISL A-League1st, CentralConference QuarterfinalsQuarter Finals
19992USL A-League6th, CentralDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20002USL A-League5th, CentralDid not qualify2nd Round
20012USL A-League4th, Central1st Round2nd Round
20024USL PDL4th, Mid South1st RoundDid not qualify
20034USL PDL3rd, Mid SouthDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20044USL PDL4th, Mid SouthConference SemifinalsDid not qualify
20054USL PDL5th, Mid SouthDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20064USL PDL5th, South AtlanticDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20074USL PDL7th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20084USL PDL7th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20094USL PDL7th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20104USL PDL7th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20114USL PDL5th, SoutheastDid not qualifyDid not qualify
20124USL PDL4th, South AtlanticDid not qualifyDid not qualify

Indoor

YearDivisionLeagueRegular SeasonPlayoffs
1990/91N/ASISL Indoor9th, SoutheastDid not qualify
1991/92N/AUSISL Indoor4th, SoutheastDid not qualify
1992/93N/AUSISL Indoor4th, SoutheastPlayoffs
1993/94N/AUSISL Indoor6th, SoutheastDid not qualify
1994/95N/AUSISL Indoor4th, Mid SouthDid not qualify
1995/96N/AUSISL Indoor7th, SoutheastDid not qualify

Honors

Head coaches

Stadium

Average attendance

Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at https://web.archive.org/web/20131208011525/http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html.

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References

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  2. http://www.etsubucs.com/sports/msoccer/rosters/displayplayer.aspx?playerid=3256%5B‍%5D
  3. "Nashville Metros - TEAM". Archived from the original on 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  4. "Nashville Metros - TEAM". Archived from the original on 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  5. "Nashville Metros - TEAM". Archived from the original on 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  6. http://www.etsubucs.com/sports/msoccer/rosters/displayplayer.aspx?playerid=2885%5B‍%5D
  7. "Player Bio: Stefan Vaziri - NORTHERN ILLINOIS OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE". Archived from the original on 2009-11-28.
  8. http://www.etsubucs.com/sports/msoccer/rosters/displayplayer.aspx?playerid=3259%5B‍%5D
  9. "Terra - Notícias, esportes, coberturas ao vivo, diversão e estilo de vida".
  10. http://www.gocamels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15300&ATCLID=204775168c%5B‍%5D
  11. "DWU Athletic Department". Archived from the original on 2010-12-25. Retrieved 2011-05-22.