Former Toronto FC defender Lukas MacNaughton enjoying life with Nashville SC

TORONTO — Lukas MacNaughton returns to Toronto with a smile on his face.

The former Toronto FC defender, traded to Nashville SC in late April, is flourishing — and successful — in his new residence.

“I’m really enjoying Nashville. Everything from the city, the fans, the facilities here. The training ground is brand new, and the stadium (Geodis Park) is unbelievable,” he stated. “BMO Field is a gorgeous stadium and one thing fairly iconic on the water. But Geodis, as a brand new stadium, it’s lovely. It’s so good to play right here.

“It’s a great team. It’s a great locker room. The organization is run at a high level. As a footballer you want to be winning games and you want to be in a place that values you as a player. So this is a great spot for me and I’m very happy.”

Nashville (9-3-4) arrives on a roll for Saturday’s matchup with Toronto (3-5-9). It has received 4 straight — matching the franchise file set in August-September 2022 — and is unbeaten in its final eight league outings (6-0-2).

“We have an identity of how we want to play and the players are very committed to it,” stated MacNaughton. “Everybody knows their role and the strengths of this team. And it’s not just 11 players that are on the pitch that are performing, it’s the whole group of 25 players that all have the commitment to win and to help the team out, no matter what their role is.”

TFC is coming off back-to-back attracts towards Chicago and is unbeaten in three video games (1-0-2). While it has solely received two of its final 14 video games (2-5-7) in all competitions, it has misplaced simply as soon as at residence this season (3-1-5) in league play.

Toronto’s prolonged damage checklist has begun to shorten with solely ahead Adama Diomande and midfielders Michael Bradley, Alonso Coello and Victor Vazquez listed as out. Defenders Matt Hedges and Shane O’Neill are questionable for Saturday’s recreation.

Jonathan Osorio is a welcome omission from the damage report. The veteran midfielder has not performed since April 22, lacking the final 9 video games with a strained knee ligament.

“Oso has been in training all week and is available,” Toronto coach Bob Bradley stated after coaching Friday. “So that’s certainly a good sign for us.”

The different good news is Lorenzo Insigne is rounding into kind. The Italian star has been concerned in TFC’s final three objectives (one objective and two assists).

Bradley stated his crew was capable of prepare all week, regardless of the poor air high quality as a result of wildfires elsewhere.

“The mornings weren’t too bad. As the day went on, I think it got worse. Certainly, you could smell it a little bit but it didn’t affect training.”

Nashville stands second in each the Eastern Conference and the Supporters’ Shield standings behind FC Cincinnati (12-1-3, 39 factors). At 31 factors, it has 13 greater than Twelfth-place Toronto, which has performed one recreation extra.

The membership boasts the league’s high defence having conceded simply 11 objectives in 16 matches. Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis boats a league-best 0.69 goals-against common with six shutouts.

That stingy defence has led to wins. Nashville has not misplaced in its final 37 matches (24-0-13) when scoring the primary objective of a match, relationship again to August 2021.

Nashville has outscored opponents 17-7 throughout the unbeaten stretch with Hany Mukhtar, the league’s participant of the month for May, contributing eight objectives and 4 assists. It has not allowed greater than a objective per match within the streak.

The 28-year-old MacNaughton has made 5 league begins for Nashville, scoring his first MLS objective May 17 in a 2-1 win over Inter Miami. The successful objective got here off a Shaq Moore cross as Nashville pressed after a free kick close to the Miami field.

“For me that was a long time coming,” stated MacNaughton, who celebrated the objective with a beaming smile. “I like to score goals. I like to win headers. I like to get in the (penalty) box and it’s something I think I’m quite good at.”

Nashville is 5-0-1 in all competitions with MacNaughton within the lineup.

MacNaughton partnered Jack Maher at centre again within the absence of U.S. worldwide Walker Zimmerman, a two-time MLS Defender of the Year. Zimmerman, who had been coping with a groin pressure, returned to the beginning lineup final Saturday and performed 58 minutes in a 2-1 win over FC Dallas.

MacNaughton will probably see extra taking part in time this summer time as a result of Zimmerman’s worldwide duties on the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup.

Born in New York City to a Canadian father and Austrian mom, MacNaughton moved to Belgium when he was seven. After attending the University of Toronto to review structure, his soccer profession took off within the Canadian Premier League at Pacific FC.

Toronto despatched MacNaughton and as much as US$200,000 basically allocation cash to Nashville to get veteran ahead CJ Sapong.

MacNaughton, who made 31 appearances in all competitions for Toronto since becoming a member of the membership in January 2022 from Pacific, stated the commerce got here as a shock.

“There was no real discussions. There’s no transparency from Toronto and I think that’s something that is really lacking in that organization.”

Still MacNaughton, who captained the U of T soccer crew, loved his time in Toronto.

“It’s a place I have in to my heart — and the club too. It’s something I grew up watching. I have a lot of love for that club. But I think at the moment it’s in a tough place. And I also want to see it get back to a better place, back to where it should be — winning trophies and all that.”

But he clearly likes the Nashville crew vibe.

“There’s a big commitment here at Nashville that every player here has a role and has an important role,” he stated. “And I think that’s how good teams and teams that win championships operate. It’s not 11 guys or three guys that are going to win you a championship. Because a season is long. It’s 22, 25 guys that are all going to commit to something and win it together.”

“Everybody feels valued,” he added. “I think that’s part of the reason we’re winning.”

Former TFC winger Jacob Shaffelburg has served as his information to Nashville. The two dwell a couple of two-minute stroll every from different.

MacNaughton’s trying ahead to seeing acquainted faces Saturday however says his return received’t be too sentimental.

“I haven’t been away that long and I had to go back to get some stuff and ship it over here,” he stated. “So it doesn’t really feel like I left that long ago.”