Charlotte FC are set to host Nashville SC at the Bank of America Stadium on Sunday in MLS's Eastern Conference.
Sixth-placed Charlotte are just three points ahead of 12th-placed Nashville, and though both sides have struggled for consistency in the first third of the season, the teams are still in contention for a coveted spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Match preview
This is only home side Charlotte's third season in MLS as, while they had been awarded a place in the league as an expansion franchise in 2019, the onset of the pandemic delayed their introduction into the division.
Former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith currently holds the position of head coach at the club, having replaced Christian Lattanzio for the 2024 campaign after he was sacked following his failure to take them beyond the wild card round of 2023's edition of the MLS Cup playoffs.
This term Smith has overseen four wins, two draws and five losses in 11 regular season MLS matches, equating to 1.27 points per game. For comparison, The Crown had averaged 1.26 and 1.24 points per game in the last two seasons.
Smith is still relatively new to the job, and he will hope to substantially improve on this record in order to show that he was the right person to take the club forward.
Cementing a spot in the top seven of the Eastern Conference and guaranteeing his side a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs would go a long way to proving this.
Charlotte's recent form has been mixed, having lost three of their last five including a defeat in early April to New England, who sit bottom of their table in 15th place.
Smith's side have won two matches in this time, a hectic 3-2 victory against third-placed Toronto from the Western Conference on April 14, and a comfortable 2-0 win against Portland Timbers last weekend.
Interestingly, while just four sides in the Eastern Conference have scored fewer than their 12 goals, Smith's team have scored half of their total in the last four games.
Although Charlotte have been inconsistent overall this season, their home record has been impressive, winning four out of six MLS games this season and only losing twice in their last 21 home league matches.
As for Nashville, while they won their most recent fixture against Montreal, they come into the game with just two wins in their last 11 matches, and only one win from their last six MLS games.
Additionally, they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in nine of their 10 MLS matchups this season, and have only kept the opposition from scoring in nine of their last 43 league fixtures.
Though Nashville have only played three times away from home in MLS they have conceded nine times, scoring just twice, and are yet to win on the road.
However, given that the away side already defeated Charlotte 2-1 in mid-March, perhaps manager Gary Smith should have reason for optimism.
Nashville are just three points behind Charlotte, and with a game in hand, victory on Sunday could help them to build momentum following their win last time out, and help put them in a promising position for the second half of the season as they aim to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Team News
Charlotte's injury list is not particularly extensive, with Benjamin Bender ruled out due to a knee injury.
Elsewhere, Brandon Cambridge will also be absent on Sunday as he recovers from an ankle issue, while forward Liel Abada and defender Bill Tuiloma are doubts for the game as they both nurse thigh injuries.
Striker Kerwin Calderon Vargas can be expected to return after missing out on his team's victory last weekend due to suspension.
As for the away side, Nashville will once again be without centre-back Lukas MacNaughton, who underwent ankle surgery in late April.
Additionally, Tyler Boyd and Shaq Moore are doubts for the match with hip injuries, and it remains to be seen whether centre-back and captain Walker Zimmerman will start for a second time in a row since returning from the knee issue he suffered in early March against Inter Miami.
Charlotte FC possible starting lineup:
Kahlina; Uronen, Privett, Malanda, Byrne; Urso, Petkovic, Westwood; Dejaegere, Copetti, Vargas
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Muyl, Bauer, Zimmerman, Maher, Shaffelburg; Yearwood, Godoy, Davis; Mukhtar, Surridge
We say: Charlotte FC 1-1 Nashville SC
Nashville's struggle to keep clean sheets could prove to be problematic against Charlotte, but captain Zimmerman could be key to marshalling their defence.
On the other hand, Charlotte have had difficulties in front of goal, and it remains to be seen whether their recent increased output is reflective of genuine, sustained improvement under Dean Smith.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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