Rumba Munthali believes his Nashville SC side are in a good spot ahead of Saturday's clash with New York City, having continued their climb up the standings by beating Toronto FC 2-1 in midweek.
Sam Surridge's 90th-minute strike handed Nashville their second win in their last four MLS matches on Wednesday, and they now sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Interim boss Munthali has overseen a resurgence since taking over from the fired Gary Smith last month, and he is excited by the chance to keep it going against NYCFC.
"It's really good to pick up more points and move up the standings," Munthali said.
"I thought the guys showed some heart and had a good second half and deserved to win.
"Now we just have to talk to our staff, make sure the guys are in a good place for Saturday in the space we have and hopefully again have good performances."
Nick Cushing's visitors sit six points clear of Nashville in fourth place, though they have lost ground on those above them by recording back-to-back losses.
Having gone down 3-2 at home to the Columbus Crew last week, they were beaten 2-0 at the LA Galaxy on Wednesday.
Cushing knows acclimatising to different conditions on their travels is somewhere his team can improve, saying: "We made changes, but we've got a squad that allows us to make changes.
"If you want to be a consistently winning team, a team that is successful in MLS, you have to cope with travel and time zones and all of those things, the heavy schedule too."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville SC – Sam Surridge
Surridge scored both of Nashville's goals in their midweek victory over Toronto, his third match with two or more goals in MLS.
Of Surridge's nine MLS goals, seven have arrived in the three matches where he scored more than once (one hat-trick, two braces).
New York City – Santiago Rodriguez
Rodriguez led NYCFC on Wednesday with five shot involvements (two chances created, three shots attempted), extending his team-leading shot involvements tally to 95 for the season.
If he maintains his lead, he will have led the team for shot involvements in each of the last three seasons, joining David Villa (2015 to 2017) as the only NYCFC players to do so in three straight campaigns.
MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE SC WIN
The home team has not lost any of the four all-time meetings between these teams, with Nashville winning both of their home games and NYCFC recording a win and a draw on their own turf.
New York's 2-0 defeat to the Galaxy last time out was their fifth shutout defeat of the year, tied with the New England Revolution and Orlando City for the joint-most in MLS.
Nashville, meanwhile, have only lost one of their last seven regular-season games (three wins, three draws), and are chasing their first pair of consecutive wins since May-June 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville SC – 44%
New York City – 29.2%
Draw – 26.8%
New York Red Bulls v DC United: Schwarz impressed with mentality in absence of key players
Sandro Schwarz has praised the New York Red Bulls' mentality and character as they prepare to welcome DC United to the Red Bull Arena this Sunday.
The Red Bulls maintained their three-match unbeaten run with an impressive 3-0 win over Toronto FC last weekend.
Schwarz's side sit third in the Eastern Conference, five points behind FC Cincinnati, having played a game more than Pat Noonan's side.
The New York side are without several of their star players due to international duty, but Schwarz was impressed with how his side rose to the occasion in their latest MLS fixture.
"It's great character from the whole team, it's great mentality," Schwarz said.
"We have seen since the first game and every training session that they are working very seriously and we need all the players, especially in this long season.
"It's good to see that everyone is making these steps and this is necesarry for us, not only to look for two or three players.
"We have to grow up as a team and it's good to see. We have missed important players for sure, but it's good to see as a group we are able to get points and it gives us a lot of confidence."
Meanwhile, DC United suffered a crushing defeat on home turf last time out, losing 4-1 to Houston Dynamo as Christian Benteke and Matai Akinmboni saw red and will miss the trip to New York.
Troy Lesesne's side are without a win in their last eight MLS fixtures, a run which has seen his team ship 20 goals in that time.
DC are currently one point ahead of bottom side Chicago Fire in the Western Conference table, level on points CF Montreal and New England Revolution, and know a victory is a must to get back to winning ways.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
NYRB – Elias Manoel
Elias Manoel’s 29th-minute opener for the Red Bulls on Saturday was the eighth goal scored from outside the box this season for the club, second most in MLS (Sporting Kansas City – 10).
Manoel (2) is the only Red Bulls player with multiple goals from outside the box this season.
DC United – Mateusz Klich
In the absence of top scorer Benteke, only two players have scored more than once this season, one of them being Mateusz Klich.
The experienced midfielder last found the back of the net against Toronto earlier this month, and his side will be hoping he can rediscover his goal-scoring touch this weekend.
MATCH PREDICTION: NYRB WIN
The Red Bulls have won their last four meetings against DC United, including a 4-1 away win on May 15. It’s their longest-ever winning streak against their opponents in all competitions and the longest in the rivalry since D.C. won five in a row in 2004.
Schwarz’s side continued their impressive home form, extending their unbeaten run to 12 games (W8 D4) in all competitions in their triumph over Toronto on Saturday.
DC, however, are enduring their longest winless run since a nine-match span between September and October 2020. The Eagles have failed to win in their last eight matches (D2 L6).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY –
NYRB – 61.3%
Draw – 20.4%
DC United – 18.3%
FC Dallas v FC Cincinnati: No time to feel sorry for ourselves, says Noonan
FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan insists his side cannot feel sorry for themselves as they look to keep pace at the top of the Eastern Conference table.
The Orange and Blues were beaten 2-1 by New England Revolution last time out, not helped by the sending off Obinna Nwobodo three minutes after Yamil Asad had halved the deficit for the home side.
Cincinnati travel to FC Dallas this Sunday, and Noonan expects his players to give their supporters a much-improved display to ensure they remain within touching distance of league leaders Inter Miami.
"We didn't give (the fans) much to cheer about in the first 45 (minutes)," Noonan said. "But it starts with me. I don't think that was a version of our group that we should have seen tonight, so I can't blame those guys for anything.
“I don't think in the first half we were able to take the space in an efficient way to then open up different ways of breaking pressure because it was too predictable.
"But we can't feel sorry for ourselves, we have to keep going."
Meanwhile, Dallas suffered their first defeat in three matches at the hands the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field last time out.
Peter Luccin’s side had taken a two-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes of the game, but a late turnaround from the home side saw them score three times in the final 12 minutes of the game to secure the triumph on a disappointing night for the Toros.
The result leaves them in 11th place in the Western Conference heading into the encounter, but they will be hopeful of kickstarting another unbeaten run to close the gap to the play-off places.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Dallas – Luciano Acosta
Acosta’s influence in the Dallas side as his assist took his tally to 15 for the season, the third time he has reach this number in the MLS (17 in 2018, 19 in 2022).
The Argentine became just the fifth player in MLS history to have three or more seasons with at least 15 assists, and he shows no sign of stopping.
Cincinnati – Peter Musa
The Croatian scored his ninth goal of the season for FC Dallas last Saturday and is on the cusp of achieving a record that has stood since 2017.
Should he find the back of the net against Dallas, Musa will become the first FC Dallas player to represent a country other than the United States with a 10-goal season since Maximiliano Urruti (Argentina) and Roland Lamah (Belgium).
MATCH PREDICTION: CINCINNATI WIN
This will be just the second meeting between the two sides, with Cincinnati out to avenge their defeat to Dallas in their first encounter back in August 2019.
Noonan’s side have won five straight away matches for the first time in club history. There have only been two longer road winning streaks in MLS in the post-shootout era (since 2000): CF Montreal (7 straight) in 2022 and San Jose (6 straight) in 2005.
However, the Toros are unbeaten in their last seven home matches (W5 D2) in all competitions, including winning their last two in a row. They have suffered just two defeats in their last 21 home matches in all competitions dating back to the beginning of last year’s Leagues Cup (W10 D9).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Dallas – 32%
Draw – 25.4%
Cincinnati – 42.6%
Montreal v Philadelphia Union: Curtin 'hurt' by recent MLS streak
Jim Curtin has said he will take the full burden of Philadelphia Union's poor recent form as they look to bounce back against fellow strugglers Montreal this Sunday.
The Union are without a win in their last six MLS fixtures, with their latest defeat coming at the hands of Charlotte FC in front of their home supporters last time out.
Curtin's side have managed just 20 points in their 19 league games after recording at least 32 at this stage in four of the previous five seasons.
And the Philadelphia head coach acknowledged his side's struggles in recent weeks, but highlighted the injuries within his squad as a major factor in their winless streak.
"The fingers are pointed at me first, and I accept that, and I take the responsibility for the current run that we are on," Curtin said.
"It hurts, but I still think the players are trying and giving everything that they can, but at the moment it is just not enough.
"We know that we're missing five to six key guys, and it hurts right now, and it's tough for us to catch a break and score a goal to make a play that changes the game."
Meanwhile, Montreal are enduring a losing streak of their own and are without a triumph since their 4-2 win over DC United back in May.
Laurent Courtois' side were beaten 4-1 by Colorado Rapids in their last MLS fixture, leaving them a point above bottom side Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference.
L'Impact face a tough test should they want to return to winning ways this Sunday, having won one of their last nine meetings with the Union (D4 L4) dating back to October 2020.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Montreal – Josef Martínez
Martinez has scored eight career goals against the Union in all competitions, having only scored more against Orlando (9).
However, Curtin’s side have managed to keep the Venezuelan at bay in recent meetings, having shut the striker out in each of the last four league meetings, with his last league goal against them coming back in 2019.
Philadelphia – Tai Baribo
In the absence of top scorer Julian Carranzo (10) and Daniel Gazdag (10), Baribo has the opportunity to take centre stage for the Union against Montreal.
The Israeli scored his first two goals for the club on his first start in their 4-3 defeat to Cincinnati, and will be looking to rediscover his goal-scoring touch at the Stade Saputo.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA WIN
The Union come into the encounter as marginal favourites despite their six-game winless streak, but their impressive record against their opponents will give them some much-needed confidence.
Philadelphia have lost just one of their last nine meetings with Montreal (W4 D4), but that defeat came in the last meeting between the two sides, losing 3-2 back in March 2023.
Montreal have won just one of their last 14 matches in all competitions (D7 L6) dating back to mid-April. They are one of three MLS teams, along with the Union and St. Louis City SC, with only one victory in all competitions in that time.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Montreal – 35.3%
Draw – 26%
Philadelphia – 38.7%
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