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Major League Soccer
Jun 19, 2022 at 11pm UK
Nissan Stadium
SK

Nashville
1 - 2
Kansas

Loba (63')
Godoy (40')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Hernandez (41'), Zusi (51')
Melia (81'), Russell (86'), Espinoza (89')

Preview: Nashville SC vs. Sporting Kansas City - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Nashville SC vs. Sporting Kansas City - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Sunday's Major League Soccer clash between Nashville SC and Sporting Kansas City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Nashville SC head into their next MLS affair this weekend unbeaten in 25 consecutive games played in the Music City, as they return to GEODIS Park for a matchup against Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.

Last Saturday was a stalemate for the Boys in Gold, who drew 0-0 with the San Jose Earthquakes, while SKC are dead last in the Western Conference, winning only one domestic encounter since April.


Match preview

Since the opening of their new stadium earlier this season, Gary Smith's side have looked a lot more like the team we remember from 2021 - tough to get past, allowing a goal or fewer in four of their previous five matches in all competitions.

Last weekend, they conceded their share of shots on target (six), although rarely were those shooting opportunities in dangerous scoring positions.

They are among the best sides in the league at closing down space in their own penalty area, rarely allowing an easy goal.

While they have never missed the postseason, it remains unclear if this group are ready to jump from a good team to an elite one.

Their primary footballing identity has been one of a rugged defensive unit, though Nashville have proven that they can win with various setups and in an attack-minded approach.

Throughout the 2022 campaign, the Boys in Gold have not lost a regular-season encounter in which they have drawn first blood.

Sporting KC are going through some unprecedented times in 2022, currently the second-worst team in the league, just two points ahead of the Chicago Fire.

After contending for the top spot in the Western Conference until the final day of the 2021 regular season, this side are making the kind of history that no one wants.

Until this campaign, no team in MLS had been without two Designated Players (DPs) for an entire campaign, but that is what KC are contending with at the moment, as Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda have not seen the field this year.

Losing their two most expensive signings in club history has devastated this organization, not only financially, but statistically as well, with KC scoring the second-fewest goals to this point of the season (14).

Manager Peter Vermes has acknowledged that he is experiencing things that he has never gone through, forcing the long-time boss to devise solutions that they never thought he would have to face.

For the moment, Vermes and his staff have failed to find any good solutions to their predicament, winning only once since April, although they have looked sharp at the U.S. Open Cup, currently in the last eight of that competition.

Nashville SC Major League Soccer form:
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • D
  • W
  • D

Nashville SC form (all competitions):
  • L
  • W
  • D
  • W
  • W
  • D

Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer form:
  • D
  • L
  • W
  • D
  • L
  • L

Sporting Kansas City form (all competitions):
  • L
  • W
  • D
  • W
  • L
  • L


Team News

Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis recorded his 44th career MLS clean sheet in their previous outing, Dax McCarty appeared in his 422nd regular-season match and Alex Muyl led the team in touches with 76.

Daniel Lovitz completed 40 passes to lead the Boys in Gold against the Quakes, Hany Mukhtar leads the league in shots (55) and shots on target (31) as he is first for Nashville in goals (six) and tied with CJ Sapong for most assists (three).

There are still several players who are doubtful for Nashville this weekend because of injuries, including Teal Bunbury (right knee), Robert Castellanos (right ankle surgery), Randall Leal (ankle) and Handwalla Bwana (thigh).

Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza is one of only three players in the league to record an assist in 13 different MLS campaigns, joining Dax McCarty and Kei Kamara in that exclusive group.

Johnny Russell has four goals in his last four matches, leading the team with seven strikes in all competitions, academy products Cameron Duke and Felipe Hernandez are tied for the lead in assists with three, while Daniel Salloi can reach the century mark in MLS starts should he feature in the opening lineup on Sunday.

Uri Rosell will be suspended for this encounter after being dismissed early in the second half in their 2-1 defeat to the New England Revolution, while Ozzie Cisneros (hamstring), Jake Davis (adductor) and Nikola Vujnovic could all miss this match through injury.

Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Muyl, Romney, Maher, Lovitz; Anunga, McCarty, Davis, Washington; Sapong, Mukhtar

Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
Melia; Zusi, Ford, Fontas, Sweat; Espinoza; Shelton, Walter, Duke; Russell, Hernandez


We say: Nashville SC 1-0 Sporting Kansas City

Even when they are not at their best, the footballing gods seem to smile down on Nashville SC when playing at home, and we do not anticipate their rock-solid defence will have any trouble contending with a side in Kansas City who have been depleted both mentally and physically.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:curl


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Premier League Table

Eastern Conference

TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Inter MiamiInter Miami34228479493074
2Columbus Crew34199672403266
3FC CincinnatiCincinnati341851158481059
4Orlando City34157125950952
5Charlotte FCCharlotte FC34149114637951
6New York City FCNY City34148125449550
7New York Red BullsNY Red Bulls34111495550547
8CF MontrealMontreal341110134864-1643
9Atlanta UnitedAtlanta341010144649-340
10DC United341010145270-1840
11Philadelphia UnionPhiladelphia34910156255737
12Toronto34114194061-2137
13Nashville SCNashville3499163854-1636
14New England RevolutionNew England3494213774-3731
15Chicago Fire3479184062-2230

Western Conference

TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Los Angeles FCLos Angeles34197863432064
2Los Angeles GalaxyLA Galaxy34197869501964
3Real Salt LakeSalt Lake341611765481759
4Seattle SoundersSeattle34169951351657
5Houston DynamoHouston34159104739854
6Minnesota UnitedMinnesota Utd34157125849952
7Colorado RapidsColorado34155146160150
8Portland TimbersPortland341211116556947
9Vancouver WhitecapsVancouver34138135249347
10Austin FCAustin34119143948-942
11Dallas34118155456-241
12St Louis City34813135063-1337
13Sporting Kansas CityKansas3487195166-1531
14San Jose EarthquakesEarthquakes3463254178-3721
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