Columbus and Nashville SC have been in good form lately, but each will seek a rebound victory when the Crew host their Eastern Conference rival on Saturday.
Nashville (10-4-5, 35 points) was riding a 10-game unbeaten streak (seven wins, three ties) before a 1-0 loss at CF Montreal on Wednesday.
Defender Jack Maher said Nashville coach Gary Smith has built a culture where a setback is quickly set aside.
Nashville has lost consecutive games once since the middle of the 2022 season — March 18 and 25 of this season vs. New England and FC Cincinnati, respectively.
“We haven’t lost in quite a while,” Maher said of the Montreal game. “With that being said, it’s just the mindset of ‘over and next.’ Wins happen, losses happen, ties happen, but we have a short memory span here. I think that’s something that Gary really preaches. I think that’s been one of the best things that has made us successful this year — that regardless of a win, loss, or draw, we’re always focused on the next one.”
The Crew (8-6-4, 28 points) had won three straight for the second time this season before allowing a fourth-minute stoppage time goal by New York City FC in a 1-1 away draw on Saturday.
That followed Chicago getting the equalizer in the 88th minute in the previous match before Lucas Zelarayan pulled off a 93rd-minute winner for the Crew.
Crew defender Malte Amundsen doesn’t expect the late collapses to become a habit.
“It doesn’t matter to have 85, 88 good minutes and then conceding a goal,” he said. “So, that hurts and that’s what we talk about, of course, because it cannot be a thing and I think it has happened too much and we’re working to find a way out of this.”
The Crew must defend against MLS goal leader Hany Mukhtar (13 goals) while the Crew will counter with Zelarayan (eight goals), who missed the NYCFC match while playing for Armenia.
His teammate, Cucho Hernandez, will look to extend his Crew record of goal contributions in nine straight games (four goals, seven assists).
— Field Level Media
