Nashville Metros

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.

Nashville Metros
Full nameNashville Metros
Nickname(s)The Metros
Founded1989
Dissolved2012
StadiumEzell Park
Nashville, Tennessee
Capacity5,000
OwnersLynn Agee
Martin Maciel
Devinder Sandhu
Head CoachBrent Goulet (final)
LeaguePremier Development League
2012 (final)4th, South Atlantic
Playoffs: DNQ
WebsiteClub website

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

History
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. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

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

Notable former players
See also: All-time Nashville Metros roster

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
Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs Open Cup
1991 N/A SISL 4th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not enter
1992 N/A USISL 5th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not enter
1993 N/A USISL 6th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not enter
1994 3 USISL 5th, Midsouth Divisional Semifinals Did not enter
1995 4 USISL Premier 3rd, Eastern Divisional Semifinals Did not qualify
1996 4 USISL Premier 4th, Eastern Northern Division Finals Did not qualify
1997 2 USISL A-League 2nd, Central Division Semifinals Did not qualify
1998 2 USISL A-League 1st, Central Conference Quarterfinals Quarter Finals
1999 2 USL A-League 6th, Central Did not qualify Did not qualify
2000 2 USL A-League 5th, Central Did not qualify 2nd Round
2001 2 USL A-League 4th, Central 1st Round 2nd Round
2002 4 USL PDL 4th, Mid South 1st Round Did not qualify
2003 4 USL PDL 3rd, Mid South Did not qualify Did not qualify
2004 4 USL PDL 4th, Mid South Conference Semifinals Did not qualify
2005 4 USL PDL 5th, Mid South Did not qualify Did not qualify
2006 4 USL PDL 5th, South Atlantic Did not qualify Did not qualify
2007 4 USL PDL 7th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not qualify
2008 4 USL PDL 7th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not qualify
2009 4 USL PDL 7th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not qualify
2010 4 USL PDL 7th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not qualify
2011 4 USL PDL 5th, Southeast Did not qualify Did not qualify
2012 4 USL PDL 4th, South Atlantic Did not qualify Did not qualify

Indoor
Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs
1990/91 N/A SISL Indoor 9th, Southeast Did not qualify
1991/92 N/A USISL Indoor 4th, Southeast Did not qualify
1992/93 N/A USISL Indoor 4th, Southeast Playoffs
1993/94 N/A USISL Indoor 6th, Southeast Did not qualify
1994/95 N/A USISL Indoor 4th, Mid South Did not qualify
1995/96 N/A USISL Indoor 7th, Southeast Did not qualify

Honors

Head coaches
  • United States Greg Petersen (1998–1999)
  • United States Brett Mosen (2000–2001)
  • United States Andy Poklad (2002–2004)
  • Costa Rica Rico Laise (1999, 2007–2008)
  • England Richard Askey (2009)
  • United States Obed Compean (2005–2006, 2010)
  • Mexico Ricardo Lopez (2011)
  • United States Brent Goulet (2012)

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.

  • 2005: 307
  • 2006: 392 (8th in PDL)
  • 2007: 361
  • 2008: 308
  • 2009: 162
  • 2010: 215
  • 2011: 349

References
  1. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". Archived from the original on 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  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.
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