Toronto will head to GEODIS Park on Saturday in search of their first road victory of the 2023 MLS regular-season when they face off with Nashville SC.
The Boys in Gold kicked off this month on a winning note, defeating Orlando City 2-0, while the Reds gave up a two-goal lead to draw Charlotte FC 2-2.
Match preview
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It was a prototypical road performance for Nashville at Exploria Stadium last weekend, as they caught the Lions off-guard with a quickly taken free kick and limited their chances throughout the 90 minutes while finding an insurance marker along the way.
Since they began playing in this league, that approach is one that we are accustomed to seeing from Gary Smith's men, as they are masters at closing down space in the attacking third but have few chance creators when in possession.
In each of their regular-season affairs this year, we have seen a zero beside either their score or their opponents, another testament to how well Nashville defend and how much they can struggle in the attacking third.
After six matches this season, the Boys in Gold have conceded the fewest goals in the league (two) and are unbeaten in 31 consecutive encounters when scoring first, a streak that dates back to August 8, 2021.
By no means have Nashville played a complete game yet this season, but their patience and poise from the opening whistle has allowed them to settle into matches well, as they have not conceded a first-half goal all year.
Last season was their first at GEODIS Park, a venue in which Nashville have only lost consecutive games in the regular season once (two), while never going goalless in back-to-back games played there, a run which is in jeopardy following a 1-0 defeat at home to FC Cincinnati.
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Most of the 2023 campaign for Toronto thus far has been a case of rinse and repeat, though their matches have rarely ended the way we expected.
They come into this encounter on a five-match unbeaten run, though the Reds have continuously left points on the table, holding a second-half advantage on four occasions but only emerging victorious once.
Those six points dropped could have them in a top-four position in the Eastern Conference rather than their current place in ninth, which thanks to the new format this season has them currently in a wild-card spot.
Bob Bradley is beginning to sound like a broken record in his post-game messages to his team, often criticizing their ability to connect passes while needing to improve that end product, something he evidently did not see enough of against Charlotte.
Like Nashville, TFC have been sharp in the opening 45 minutes of a match but have often failed to maintain that early momentum, conceding six of their seven goals this season in the second half.
The Reds come into this encounter unbeaten in their last three fixtures versus Nashville, winning their only previous visit to GEODIS Park last season, 4-3.
Team News
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Nashville were without Randall Leal and Nick DePuy in Orlando as they are dealing with lower body injuries, opening the door for Luke Haakenson to make his first start of the season.
The 2022 Golden Boot winner and league MVP Hany Mukhtar has been involved in four of the six Nashville goals this year, firing home his first of the campaign last weekend, while Fafa Picault scored his first since joining them during the off-season and Joe Willis picked up his fourth clean sheet, putting him in a tie for first in MLS with Roman Celentano of Cincinnati.
In their victory against Orlando, Walker Zimmerman made his 200th career MLS regular season start, Teal Bunbury picked up his 343rd regular season cap and Anibal Godoy was in the starting 11 for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Matchday one.
Lorenzo Insigne and Raoul Petretta are questionable for Toronto with lower body injuries, as is Adama Diomande, while Cristian Gutierrez might not feature once again because of an illness.
Federico Bernardeschi scored his team-leading third of the campaign at home to Charlotte, Michael Bradley headed home his first of the season and Brandon Servania set up his first as a member of TFC.
In their previous visit to the Music City last year, the Reds' Jonathan Osorio notched two goals, while Richie Laryea had a pair of assists as they held on for a narrow victory.
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Moore, Zimmerman, Maher, Lovitz; Shaffelburg, Godoy, Davis, Picault; Sapong, Mukhtar
Toronto possible starting lineup:
Johnson; Laryea, Rosted, Hedges, Marshall-Rutty; Servania, Bradley; Bernardeschi, Kaye, Osorio; Kerr
We say: Nashville SC 2-0 Toronto
Nashville are back to the hard-nosed stingy defending that we remember from past seasons, and getting through that wall of a backline will be easier said than done.
Given the lack of depth at TFC and how comfortable the Boys in Gold look at the back, we expect the visitors to have a difficult time finding an opening, while Nashville could catch the Reds on the break.
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