Preview: Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United

It’s been an eventful week for Nashville SC. Following their 2-0 win over Toronto FC on Wednesday, head coach Gary Smith was fired after seven years in charge of the club. The move was seismic, as the Coyotes parted ways with the only manager they had known as a professional club. Can interim manager Rumba Munthali give them a boost against a struggling Atlanta United in a Rivalry Week match?

Face-to-face

Atlanta United

12th (East) | 12points | 3W-3D-6L | +1 GM |
Last match: 2-1 defeat against FC Cincinnati
Power Ranking: 16th

Availability report

Updated Friday evening

Atlanta enters this game with its own set of challenges. Manager Gonzalo Pineda is in the hot seat, with questions about his future circulating as their poor form continues. And make no mistake, their form is bad.

They have averaged just one point per game so far this year. Their winless streak extends to seven matches in MLS, with just three wins so far this season. Despite having one of the most complete teams in the league, they have looked mostly pedestrian.

Thiago Almada, one of the league’s brightest young stars and the team’s centerpiece, has struggled to return to his best form this year. He scored three goals, but had just one assist on a team in desperate need of an attacking hub.

He sat out against Nashville after being injured in the 16th minute against Cincinnati midweek. Also missing is Giorgios Giakoumakis, Atlanta’s number 9 and one of the best strikers in MLS.

Without either of his two main attackers available, Pineda will have to turn to Jamal Thiaré in attack and Xhande Silva, who are themselves returning from injuries.

Nashville fans will recognize a familiar face on the Atlanta roster: Dax McCarty. The first captain in Nashville SC history, McCarty will play against Nashville for the first time, returning to Geodis Park after signing with Atlanta as a free agent this winter. He didn’t play as central a role for the Five Stripes, playing just 232 minutes in six appearances and starting just two games. However, with Atlanta struggling, he could step in and provide a stable presence in the midfield.

Nashville SC

10th (East) | 14points | 3W-5D-4L | -3GD |
Last match: 2-0 victory against Toronto FC
Power Ranking: 24th

The vibes around Nashville SC are completely different than Wednesday. Gary Smith left, taking assistant coach Steve Guppy with him and ushering in a period of uncertainty. Interim Rumba Munthali has not coached above U19 level, and with just two days at the helm he is unlikely to make any drastic changes before Saturday.

With Walker Zimmerman, Tyler Boyd and Shaq Moore returning to the team, Munthali has a nearly complete roster to choose from. He will encounter rotation problems: Aníbal Godoy played 90 minutes on Wednesday and, at 34, he may not be able to play another 90 on Saturday.

But the core of this group, even though it has underperformed, is still in place. Even with Nashville’s struggles this season, and even with the manager change, they will still be confident they can get a result at home against a poor Atlanta United team.

Pre-match quotes

Choice of pods

Ben Wright

Score: Nashville 2-0 Atlanta
Scorers: Surridge (x2)
MOTM: Surridge
Bold prediction: The new manager boss is real, y’all.

Chris Ivey

Score: Nashville 3-0 Atlanta
Scorers: Shaffelburg, Surridge and Boyd
MOTM: Shaffelbourg
Bold prediction: Atlanta controls 60% possession, but they fall into Nashville’s trap and leave a lot of space on the counterattack. The castle is noisy at the dawn of a new day.

Jeff Remlinger

Score: Nashville 3-1 Atlanta
Scorers: Mukhtar (x2), Surridge
MOTM: Mukhtar
Bold prediction: The style of play is very similar to what we are used to. But new energy among players and fans leads to a confident performance and an easy victory.

Ronan Briscoe

Score: Nashville 2-0 Atlanta
Scorers: Mukhtar (x2)
MOTM: Mukhtar
Bold prediction: New manager’s rebound lifts Nashville above the playoff line, as Nashville also extends its home unbeaten streak against Atlanta to six.

Valair Shabilla

Score: Nashville 2-1 Atlanta
Scorers: Mukhtar (x2)
MOTM: Mukhtar
Bold prediction: Mukhtar will have an MVP-like performance for the first time this season.

Fan predictions

Match information

Teams: Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United
Referees: Drew Fischer (Ref), Lyes Arfa (AR1), Mike Nickerson (AR2), Alexis Da Silva (fourth), Chris Penso (VAR), Craig Lowry (AVAR)
Odds: NSH (-110), draw (+265), ATL (+265)
Date: Saturday May 18, 2024
Time: 12:45 p.m. CDT, GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FOX
TV commentary: Keith Costigan & Maurice Edu (English – Apple), Mike Watts & Jamie Watson (English – FOX), Alejandro Figueredo & Eduardo Biscayart (Spanish)
Radio: 104.5 The Area
Radio commentary: Will Boling (English)
Forecast: 75°/62°. 73º at kickoff. Mostly cloudy. 70% chance of rain. 88% humidity. Wind 2 to 4 mph.

Related

Author: Ben Wrightis the Director of Soccer Content and a Senior MLS Contributor for Broadway Sports covering Nashville SC and the United States National Team. Previously, Ben was editor and founder of Speedway Soccer, where he covered Nashville SC and its stint in USL before joining Major League Soccer since 2018. Raised in Louisville, KY Ben grew up playing before a knee injury does not end his competitive career. When he’s not talking about football, he’s probably producing music, drinking coffee, or spending time with his wife and kids. Mastodon