Nashville SC will get the rare opportunity to avenge a defeat when they host Toronto FC on Saturday night.
Nashville (17-3-6, 57 points) became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire last weekend, but they might have an extra bit of motivation when the Reds come to Geodis Park.
Toronto (6-9-11, 29 points) stunned the league leaders 2-1 earlier this month, Emilio Aristizabal netting a stoppage-time dagger to hand the Boys in Gold their first loss in seven games. It was the first time TFC had beaten them since 2022.
Nashville has recovered reasonably well since the shock defeat, salvaging a 2-2 draw with Inter Miami before blanking the Fire. Sam Surridge (16 goals) has been in scintillating form, with three goals in his last two outings.
“It’s a great moment to just take a pause and say, ‘All right, the body of work is good enough that we were able to hit this milestone.’ And then you get back to work and worry about Toronto,” head coach BJ Callaghan said.
Toronto’s playoff hopes have taken a dramatic turn for the worse since they pulled off the upset. The team’s defense, already in shaky condition after 3-0 and 3-1 losses to Orlando and St. Louis, will be further constrained without the services of Walker Zimmerman, who will be suspended on yellow card accumulation.
They haven’t fared much better up front, failing to register a shot attempt against St. Louis until the 87th minute. The Reds now sit three spots and four points behind Cincinnati for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.
“It’s easy to say, ‘I’m sitting here, I don’t have to deal with it,’ but they’re under a lot of pressure,” head coach Robin Fraser said after the last match. “But in order to beat a team that is playing with that sort of pressure, we have to individually be able to retain the ball a bit more.”
In addition to Djordje Mihailovic (thigh), Toronto will be without Richie Laryea, Markus Cimermancic and Zimmerman’s usual center-back partner Benjamin Kuscevic, all away on international duty.
Nashville’s All-Star goalkeeper Brian Schwake will be absent for the first time in league play, as will backup goalkeeper Xavier Valdez and midfielder Patrick Yazbek. Warren Madrigal (lower-body) also remains sidelined.
–Field Level Media
