Western Conference side Nashville SC will travel over 400 miles to North Carolina for their MLS encounter against Eastern Conference outfit Charlotte FC on Sunday.
The hosts have won six of their last eight MLS games on home soil, while the visitors are looking to claim their third successive league victory on the road.
Match preview
© Reuters
After three MLS games without a win, including back-to-back defeats against CF Montreal and Austin, Charlotte bounced back with a 2-1 victory away against Houston Dynamo on Monday.
An own goal from Matias Vera put the visitors ahead in the 28th minute before Andre Shinyashiki came off the bench to net his fifth goal of the season and double the visitors' lead in the 74th minute. Fafa Picault pulled one back for the hosts in the final 10 minutes but Charlotte held on to claim their first away win of the campaign.
Interim boss Christian Lattanzio has seen his side climb up to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind FC Cincinnati, Orlando City and New England Revolution who occupy the final three places in the playoffs.
Charlotte could become only the fifth of 18 expansion teams since 2005 to reach the 25-point mark within their first 20 MLS matches if they were to beat Sunday's opponents Nashville.
The Blues' only encounter with Nashville came in February this year when they lost 3-1 away from home in a friendly.
© Reuters
Nashville extended their unwanted winless home run to four matches when they played out a 2-2 draw against Portland Timbers on Monday.
After the Boys in Gold had put themselves two goals in front courtesy of strikes from Sean Davis and Hany Mukhtar, they were unable to hold onto their lead as two goals within five second-half minutes from Dairon Asprilla and Jaroslaw Niezgoda rescued a point for the visitors.
Gary Smith's men currently sit sixth in the Western Conference and remain in the playoffs despite being forced to share the spoils for the sixth time this season, and they are now just two points behind Real Salt Lake in third place.
Nashville have endured an inconsistent run of form, failing to record the same result in consecutive games in any of their last 13 MLS matches – winning five, drawing five and losing three.
The Boys in Gold, however, will be confident of returning to winning ways on Sunday as they have won three of their four MLS games against expansion teams and have kept a clean sheet on each occasion.
- L
- W
- D
- L
- L
- W
- D
- W
- D
- L
- W
- D
- W
- D
- L
- W
- L
- D
Team News
© Reuters
Charlotte duo Adam Armour and Vinicius Mello are both set to remain sidelined with respective knee and foot injuries.
Former Leicester City man Christian Fuchs was fit to return to the first XI last time out after recovering from a thigh problem, and he is set to retain his place at left-back, while Jaylin Lindsey could replace Harrison Afful at right-back.
Karol Swiderski is set to start again as the lone striker, while Shinyashiki and McKinze Gaines could be recalled to play on the flanks at the expense of Yordy Reyna and Kamil Jozwiak.
As for Nashville, Robert Castellanos remains sidelined after undergoing ankle surgery, while Handwalla Bwana and Anibal Godoy are both suffering with thigh injuries.
Smith will need to decide whether to stick with the 4-4-2 formation that he used last time out or revert to a 3-5-2 setup, which could see Jack Maher return to the first XI and start alongside Walker Zimmerman and David Romney at centre-back.
Top scorer Mukhtar, who has nine MLS goals to his name this term, is expected to continue in attack alongside CJ Sapong.
Charlotte FC possible starting lineup:
Kahlina; Lindsay, Walkes, Corujo, Fuchs; Bronico; Shinyashiki, Ruiz, McNeill, Gaines; Swiderski
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Romney, Zimmerman, Maher; Muyl, McCarty, Davis, Anunga; Lovitz; Sapong, Mukhtar
We say: Charlotte FC 1-1 Nashville SC
Both Charlotte and Nashville will view Sunday's fixture as a winnable game, but the visitors will head into this contest as the slight favourites given their position in the table.
However, considering the inconsistent form of both teams, a score draw could be on the cards in North Carolina.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
