Hot Nashville SC clashes with goal-starved CF Montreal

After handing the Philadelphia Union their first loss of the season, Nashville SC will look to make it three wins in a row as they face visiting CF Montreal on Saturday evening.

On Sunday, Nashville (2-1-1, 7 points) saw Ahmed Qasem score the eventual match-winner in the 44th minute before Hany Mukhtar provided an insurance goal from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute.

It was another step in the right direction for Nashville SC, who -- in their first full season under head coach B.J. Callaghan -- are looking to re-establish a winning culture in Music City after missing the MLS playoffs in 2024 for the first time in their seventh season.

"For us, I think we've been really happy with most of the performances," Callaghan said. "We've been able to learn some things, we've been able to take some positives away, and now (we'll try) to turn those into not only winning performances but into performances that we're proud of and can continue to build from."

Sam Surridge produced the opening goal for Nashville against the Union, earning MLS Team of the Matchday honors for his performance.

Meanwhile, CF Montreal (0-3-1, 1 point) could at least walk off the pitch with its first point -- and clean sheet -- of the year after playing host D.C. United to a 0-0 draw in their latest outing.

Still, a worrying trend for Montreal continued: an inability to find the back of the net. The team hasn't scored since Prince Owusu's 71st-minute goal in a season-opening, 3-2 loss against Atlanta United on Feb. 22.

"We just need to be hungry to get points every game," Montreal defender George Campbell said. "We should demand more of ourselves every game. We know how we want to play. We're a good team on the ball, so we know we're going to get points eventually, and we just need to push a little more and play as a collective even more and fight to keep clean sheets."

Montreal will be without Joel Waterman, who was called into Canada's CONCACAF Nations League squad along with Nashville's Jacob Shaffelburg. Canada fell 2-0 to Mexico in the semifinals on Thursday and will face the United States in a consolation match on Sunday.

Nashville also will be missing Andy Najar, who is with Honduras' CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifying team.

--Field Level Media