B.J. Callaghan is desperate for Nashville SC to build on his first win at the helm when they host the Chicago Fire in MLS on Wednesday.
Nashville lost nine of 10 games – going down in a penalty shoot-out after drawing the other – either side of Callaghan's appointment, but they finally turned the corner on Saturday.
Goals from Alexandre Muyl and Hany Mukhtar fired them to a 2-0 win over Atlanta United, and Callaghan sees Wednesday's clash with Chicago – who are level with
Nashville in the Eastern Conference standings – as an opportunity to build some momentum.
"We were pleased with the performance we had, we've talked about having consistent performances and stacking them up," Callaghan said.
"It's a quick turnaround, so everything we've been doing leading into Chicago has been about focusing on ourselves and making sure the guys recover.
"Then we'll just focus on the things we're good at, try to get better at those things, and we'll apply some of those ideas to the challenge that Chicago will bring.
"They're probably looking at us the same way as we're looking at them, as a game where they want to earn three points."
Chicago also halted a miserable run of six games without a win (one draw, five defats) by beating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 last time out, moving within four points of the wild-card places.
"It's about time! It feels great, because I think we faced some adversity," Klopas said.
"People faced adversity and stepped up, so huge credit to the team as a whole. It's important that we're still in this thing, now we have to go on the road and keep fighting."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar has scored two hat-tricks against the Fire in his MLS career, one of seven players to record multiple hat-tricks against a single opponent.
No player in MLS history has recorded three hat-tricks against a single opponent.
Chicago Fire – Georgios Koutsias
Koutsias has scored on each of his last two appearances. Two Fire players (Maren Haile-Selassie and Hugo Cuypers) have already scored in at least three straight games this year.
The only previous seasons in which three different Fire players had streaks of three or more games with a goal were 2018 and 1998.
MATCH PREDICTION – NASHVILLE SC
The Fire's 1-0 home win over Nashville on July 8 was their first win in the teams' head-to-head series, after Nashville had gone unbeaten through the first four encounters (two wins, two draws).
Nashville ended an eight-match losing streak in MLS action on Saturday, beating Atlanta United 2-0 to also end a run of allowing multiple goals in eight successive games.
They might be confident of repeating the trick, with Chicago only winning three of their last 21 road games in all competitions (six draws, 12 defeats).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville SC – 46.3%
Chicago Fire – 27.1%
Draw – 26.6%
Saint Lucia, Haiti stay perfect in Groups B and C of League B
Saint Lucia and Haiti consolidated their leads atop their respective Concacaf Nations League groups following contrasting wins in their League B encounters on Friday.
Caniggia Elva’s late brace in the 76th and 90th propelled St Lucia to a 2-1 win over Saint Martin, who led for most of the contest courtesy of Axel Raga’s 30th-minute strike in their Group B clash at the Darren Sammy Ground.
The win moved Saint Lucia to maximum nine points from three games. Curacao and Grenada, who played out a goalless stalemate in the other group contest, sit second and third on four points each, while Saint Martin is still yet to get on the board.
Over in Group C, Haiti beat host Aruba 3-1 at Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion.
Tyron Perret Gentil fired Aruba in front in the sixth minute, but Haiti responded through Frantzdy Pierrot (31st), and a brace from Duckens Nazon, who scored from the penalty spot in the 38th, followed by a 61st-minute close range effort.
The win saw Haiti move up to nine points from three games, three points ahead of Sint Maarten, who clipped Puerto Rico 3-2 in the other fixture.
Chovanie Amatkarijo (44th, 85th) and Imar Kort (49th) got the job done for Sint Maarten, while Rodolfo Sulia (2nd) and Alec Diaz (90+5) got Puerto Rico’s goals.
Puerto Rico remain on three points, with Aruba still pointless.
Saka and Jones withdraw from England's Nations League squad
England have confirmed that Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Liverpool's Curtis Jones have withdrawn from the squad ahead of their Nations League clash with Finland on Sunday.
Saka was replaced by Noni Madueke in the 51st minute during England's shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday after picking up an injury in his right leg.
It only adds to Mikel Arteta's injury worries ahead of facing Bournemouth next Saturday after Martin Odegaard was injured on international duty for Norway last month.
Saka has enjoyed a fine start to the Premier League campaign, scoring two goals and laying on a further seven assists in the Gunners' opening seven games.
The England international has also created more chances (27) than any other player in the division, with his nine goal involvements a total only bettered by Chelsea's Cole Palmer (11) and Manchester City's Erling Haaland (10).
Lee Carsley will also be without uncapped Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, who was added to the Three Lions squad earlier this week, but has since withdrawn due to a personal commitment.
Jones earned his first call-up in May as part of Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, but did not make the final cut.
The 23-year-old was part of the Young Lions side that won the 2023 European Under-21 Championship under Carsley, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win over Spain in the final.
Former Liverpool defender Matip confirms retirement
Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has confirmed his retirement from professional football.
Matip, who joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016, has been without a club since leaving Anfield at the end of last season and has since decided to call time on his 15-year career.
The 33-year-old started his career at Schalke, making 258 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit and helping them lift the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup in 2011.
Matip was among the first signings made by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, joining in the same window as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Loris Karius.
He helped the Reds return to the Champions League in Klopp's first full campaign in charge, making 29 Premier League appearances and keeping nine clean sheets.
However, his spell with the Reds was marred by repetitive injuries, sustaining 16 different issues across his eight-year spell on Merseyside.
The former Cameroon international's final appearance for Liverpool came in a 4-3 win over Fulham in December 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the same game.
Matip made 201 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and winning six major honours, which included the Reds' sixth Champions League triumph.
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