In a mid-table clash between two Western Conference sides hoping to climb the table, Nashville SC will make the journey to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening.
Having both experienced indifferent starts to the campaign, a victory could set one side on their way to a successful season, whereas further dropped points are likely to damage the others' hopes and ambitions.
Match preview
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Victory against Columbus Crew last time out helped ease the pressure on Nashville, who had previously lost the previous two Major League Soccer matches, while drawing the one before.
Defeats against Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas saw the Music City slump down the Western Conference table, despite a strong start to the season.
An opening-day win against perennial challengers Seattle Sounders had set Nashville on their way before that slump in form.
Hopes of another victory look slim for Nashville if the head-to-head record is anything to go by, as Sporting KC boast a 100% record over the Tennessee-based outfit.
Granted, the pair have only met once before in MLS, with Sporting KC looking to continue that record when they meet at Children's Mercy Park this weekend.
Similarly disappointed with their start to the season, Sporting KC have picked up two wins in the league, while losing their other four matches so far.
A patchy run of form was continued during last weekend's outing when the Vancouver Whitecaps edged a 1-0 scoreline between the two, piling the pressure on Sporting KC.
However, despite their troublesome start, Sporting KC are unbeaten at home so far this season, and they will be hoping for a bit more magic when Nashville make the trip this weekend.
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Team News
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A pretty lengthy injury list for Sporting KC could hamper their preparations somewhat, but Jose Mauri could be in line for a return.
The midfielder is struggling with a leg injury and should return before the end of the month, with Gadi Kinda also nursing a knee problem.
However, there is unlikely to be a return until the summer for Alan Pulido, who is continuing his recovery from an ACL injury.
Unlike Sporting KC, Nashville have a full squad for the weekend's match, with Alex Muyl expected to start as one of the wing-backs.
Muyl netted the winner for Nashville in last weekend's victory over Columbus, and he will be joined on the opposite flank by Taylor Washington.
Former US Men's National Team international C. J. Sapong, will lead the line, with Randall Leal and Hany Mukhtar operating either side.
Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
Meila; Zusi, Isimat-Mirin, Fontas, Sweat; Walter, Rosell, Hernandez; Russell, Shelton, Salloi
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Miller, Maher, Romney; Muyl, Davis, Anunga, Washington; Leal, Sapong, Mukhtar
We say: Sporting Kansas City 1-1 Nashville SC
Two teams that could do with a win to properly kick start their season, Sporting KC will be keen to use home advantage to get their noses out in front.
However, Nashville have shown in previous seasons they can be difficult to beat, and a score draw looks the most likely scenario in this fixture.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sporting Kansas City win with a probability of 52.83%. A draw had a probability of 25.2% and a win for Nashville SC had a probability of 21.95%.
The most likely scoreline for a Sporting Kansas City win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.93%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (10.23%) and 2-1 (9.43%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.92%), while for a Nashville SC win it was 0-1 (7.53%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with a 5.5% likelihood.
