RECAP: NASHVILLE RHYTHM F.C., AHFC ROYALS

Written By:  Thomas Costello  |  WPSL Correspondent

Photo By:  Reily Rogers

Saturday’s first South Region semifinal featured two teams that, despite the 12 hours of driving distance between the two sides, have playoff history. Nashville Rhythm F.C. hosted Texas-based AHFC Royals in a rainy matchup. It took over 80 minutes, and a little luck on a penalty, but Nashville sends AHFC Albion back to Houston, Texas for the second year in a row after a 1-0 win for the Rhythm.

Last year, in the South semifinal, Nashville pressed Albion early for a quick goal in the fifth minute. In 2023, AHFC tried to take Nashville out of its rhythm the same way. Within the first five minutes, the Royals forced a free kick in a dangerous area, infiltrated turnovers, and had a strong chance at goal if not for a misplaced pass on a run forward.

Nashville held strong and in the 10^th minute went on a run of its own. With the Royals playing more offensively, it left the backline with more work to do. The Rhythm took advantage with forward Maddie Padelski receiving a cross left of the goal. On the one-timer, Padelski sent the shot too high, but showed it was going to be more back and forth than AHFC showed from the kickoff.

What helped turn the possession in Nashville’s favor was its defensive setup. The Rhythm kept four players back, and when AHFC sent long passes to their offensive third, two players met it each time with no easy passes getting by the home side’s defense - when a pass did get through the backline, it was either offside or well-defended in one-on-one battles.

The visitors tried their best to play the ball quickly in free-kick situations and in the 20^th minute, on a free kick near the fourth official on the sideline, Nashville midfielder Adaira Nakano (Southern Mississippi) picked up the lone yellow card of the half.

Soon after the referee’s whistle, AHFC jumped at the opportunity to send a long ball forward as Nashville was still getting back on defense. Nakano, within two yards of the kick, blocked the attempt which deflected the ball high into the air. Since the midfielder wasn’t the required 10 yards away from the free kick, the deflection put the midfielder in the referee’s book.

The battle between the Royals’ offense and the Rhythm’s defense continued for the next 15 minutes with neither side putting in any chance that made either goalkeeper work. In the 25^th minute, Yuri Watari, Nashville’s 11-goal scoring threat got into the offensive play for the first time.
 

Photo by: Reily Rogers

Watari passed into an open area of the 18-yard box, with the follow-up pass finding Nakano at the top of the penalty area, sending in a shot that went right to the keeper. It was the first time either netminder had their hands on the ball in the run of play.

In the 34^th minute, Nashville had its best chance of the half. Starting to find its offensive footing again, the Rhythm got into the final third and a booming cross landed at the feet of forward Katie Collins, who sent the shot wide right. The play happened again within two minutes, but this time it was Watari. The midfielder used superb dribbling skills to get around the defense, and the goalkeeper, to get a clear, albeit difficultly angled, open shot on goal. Watari sent the shot on the same trajectory as Collins.

After 45 minutes played, it was still deadlocked without a single goal scored between the two clubs. While defense had its hand in not allowing much offensively, overall, each side seemed out of their usual rhythms, with errant passes and a lack of connection in the midfield.

In the 52^nd minute, Nashville got the chances going for the second half, earning three straight corner kicks but not finding the net on any of the set pieces. The closest came on the second opportunity, with the AHFC goalkeeper punching the shot away, behind the crossbar, just to be safe from an errant deflection into a goal.

Within two minutes, there was a scary moment for Albion. On a pass sent toward Nashville’s Shelby Craft (Lipscomb), the AHFC defense headed the ball away, but toward the net, which forced a diving save from goalkeeper Atlee Olofson (Notre Dame) - Craft got a second chance on goal but Olofson made another save.

That attempt opened things up for both sides. In the 55^th minute, the Royals responded with a shot on goal that was punched away. In the 59^th minute, Watari passed to an open teammate who sent the shot wide left. Either way, it showed that the match had a goal in it – the question was when.

In the 60^th minute, AHFC defender Sarah Piper (Duke) fouled midfielder Amber Nguyen (Vanderbilt) within five yards of the penalty area which left a straightforward chance on goal for Nashville. Nguyen sent the shot over the crossbar but found another opportunity just two minutes later – this time in the run of play gifted by Watari but Olofson stayed strong.

For a stretch of 10 minutes, all the chances were going the way of the home side. If not for Olofson and the AHFC defense, Albion would’ve had to battle for an equalizing goal or two.

Olofson continued to be a brick wall for the Albion defense in the 71^st minute. After deflecting a cross out, Nashville sent a corner into a dangerous area of the box. At point-blank range, Olofson stopped a shot that would have put the home side ahead.

With 20 minutes remaining, Albion looked tired, with the momentum leaning heavily towards the home side. Maybe it was the travel day before, flying into Nashville, but AHFC couldn’t find a way to break through, even for a chance on goal.

In the 82^nd minute, it was none other than Watari who broke the tie. Following three Albion defenders swallowing up a Nashville attack, the ball fell to Watari. The midfielder dribbled past the trio of defenders and sent a shot into the bottom right corner, past a diving Olofson. It put the home side up a goal with six minutes remaining, plus stoppage.

AHFC sent bodies forward trying to avoid a second straight playoff exit at the hands of the Rhythm. The first possession after the goal had a shot go just over the crossbar.

The extra bodies on defense for Nashville ended up hurting the home side. In the 87^th minute, it resulted in a handball penalty, giving Leah Klenke (Notre Dame) of Albion a chance to level. The shot rang off the left post past Nashville’s diving goalkeeper Zoe Clevely (Pepperdine) who guessed correctly.

Nashville held on for the remaining six minutes, with AHFC not getting another chance as good as the penalty, moving the Rhythm into their second straight Regional Final.