Nashville SC enters Saturday’s match against the Chicago Fire as one of the two unbeaten teams in MLS, holding a record of 4 wins and 1 draw for 13 points, placing them at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Despite their strong performance, with a 13-2 goal difference, there’s a belief that Nashville can improve. Coach B.J. Callaghan attributes the team’s success to their focus on consistency.
“It may sound boring, but these players show up ready to work every day,” he said. “We want to deliver a steady performance each match day.”
Nashville’s consistency is evident on both offense and defense. The team has achieved three clean sheets, including a 5-0 victory against Orlando City in their last game on March 21. With Sam Surridge leading the league with seven goals, Nashville ranks second in scoring in MLS.
Surridge aims to build on his previous season, where he scored 24 goals, second only to Lionel Messi.
“I wanted to continue my momentum from last season,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, Chicago (2-2-1, 7 points) looks to build on their recent 2-1 win against Philadelphia on March 21. Jonathan Bamba scored the winning goal in the 58th minute, bringing the team to a .500 record.
Chicago has also excelled in possession, ranking fifth with a 55% rate, and they have allowed just five goals so far. Most of their scoring can be credited to Hugo Cuypers, who has netted four of the team’s seven goals, including one during first-half stoppage time in Philadelphia.
The Fire’s defense has shown marked improvement after conceding 60 goals last season, which was among the worst in the East.
“We’re working on our style of play and aiming to improve every day,” said Fire forward Philip Zinckernagel.