Cincinnati aiming to clinch playoff berth with win over Nashville

It has been two weeks since FC Cincinnati played a match, four weeks since they registered a goal and nearly two months since they scored in an MLS regular-season home match.

Cincinnati (16-9-4, 52 points) still is in second place in the Eastern Conference with five matches remaining and can clinch a playoff berth with a win against visiting Nashville SC on Saturday.

But coming off back-to-back 1-0 home losses, Cincinnati has lost a lot of the momentum it had generated in August to vault to the top of the Eastern Conference and Supporters' Shield race.

"I think we're accustomed to finishing plays off, and with top attacking talents, you usually don't see stretches where you' re not scoring at home," FCC coach Pat Noonan said. "If we're not in positions to score goals, if we're not a threat, if we don't have the ideas, concern is going to be there."

Cincinnati last scored in a 3-2 win at Portland on Aug. 16. Its last home goals in an MLS match came in a 3-0 win against Inter Miami on July 16.

Nashville SC (15-9-5, 50 points) are tied for third in the East and trail only Cincinnati (plus-23) with a plus-16 goal differential.

Despite dropping four of its last five matches, Nashville features the league's highest-scoring duo in Sam Surridge (MLS-leading 20 goals) and Hany Mukhtar (14).

Surridge is the current Golden Boot leader, while Mukhtar is just three years removed from winning Most Valuable Player honors.

"We're aware of how the month of August felt," Nashville defender Dan Lovitz said. "We know there are some things that we need to continue to address and improve on. (This week) is two awesome opportunities in League Play and the (U.S.) Open Cup."

Nashville will play Philadelphia in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.

Cincinnati won 2-1 at Nashville in the first meeting between the two clubs this season on March 29.

--Field Level Media