Surging FC Cincinnati are rolling and remain successful in tight matches, while Nashville SC are still seeking their first road victory of the season.
Cincinnati looks to extend its franchise-record winning streak to eight matches when Nashville comes to town Wednesday night.
FC Cincinnati (10-2-3, 33 points) enter the midweek match with the second-most points in MLS. They have outscored opponents 15-7 while going 7-0-0 since a 2-1 loss at CF Montreal on April 13.
Sergio Santos’ tie-breaking goal in the 93rd minute Saturday at Toronto gave FC Cincinnati a 4-3 victory. The club is one win away from owning, outright, the second-longest league winning streak since 2000.
“It’s hard to win in this league and it’s hard to win consecutively like we’ve done,” Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said.
“I think what we’re able to do is adapt in games and win in different ways.”
Since the start of the 2023 season, FC Cincinnati is 23-4 in matches decided by one goal. All but four of Cincinnati’s 15 league matches have been one-goal contests.
FCC won both meetings with Nashville in 2023, including a 1-0 road triumph. Luciano Acosta, who has scored five times and recorded eight assists during a nine-match goal-contribution streak, posted one of each during Cincinnati’s 3-1 home victory over Nashville last year.
Nashville (3-4-7, 16 points) has been outscored 10-2 while going 0-3-2 away from home this season. The club did manage a point via last weekend’s scoreless draw at Montreal.
Since Nashville coach Gary Smith was fired May 16, the club has scored just once in two games, on a successful Hany Mukhtar (three goals) penalty try, while finishing with a tie in both matches.
On defense, Nashville has conceded just one goal and recorded two clean sheets in its past three MLS matches.
“I think the staple of our club is to be a hard-working defensive team,” interim Nashville coach Rumba Munthali said.
“We’ve already got that foundation.”
Nashville’s Sam Surridge has a team-leading five goals, but none have come on the road.
–Field Level Media
