Nashville SC look to extend their home unbeaten streak to 23 straight matches when they host Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night.
The streak is sixth longest in MLS history, one behind the Los Angeles Galaxy and Colorado Rapids, who share the fourth-longest streak. Coincidentally, Nashville ended Colorado’s streak on May 28 with a 3-1 victory.
The last home loss for Nashville was a 1-0 setback against FC Dallas on Nov. 4, 2020.
Nashville (6-4-5, 23 points) is 2-0-3 at home this season. Most recently, the team played the San Jose Earthquakes to a scoreless tie on June 11.
Midfielder Hany Mukhtar paces Nashville with six goals and five assists.
Sporting Kansas City (3-9-4, 13 points) is experiencing a down season but Nashville coach Gary Smith expressed concern over SKC forwards Johnny Russell and Daniel Salloi.
Russell has a team-best five goals this season and has scored 45 in five seasons with the club, including a career-high 15 in 2021. Salloi has four goals this season and 35 in six on-field seasons. He scored a career-best 16 last season.
“Simply put, Russell and Salloi have been standout players and they still have plenty of experience around that backline and midfield to make life very, very difficult,” Smith said in a press conference. “If you look at solely our performances, we’re hitting a little bit of a groove, we’re creating chances and we’re a tough group to play against at home. We hope we can maintain our form.”
Sporting KC have been unable to put things together and are a lowly 0-6-2 on the road.
Sporting KC dropped a 2-1 home decision to the New England Revolution last Sunday. Russell scored the team’s goal.
But Emmanuel Boateng scored in the 87th minute for the Revolution and Sporting KC left the pitch without a point.
“I thought we played very, very well,” Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes said afterward. “We definitely didn’t get what we deserved in the game in regards to leaving the game with a point.”
The two clubs are meeting in Nashville for the first time and playing for the third time overall. Nashville posted a 2-1 win on April 9 and won by the same score in a 2020 meeting.
–Field Level Media
