Sam Surridge, Nashville look to continue scoring surge vs. Atlanta

It won't be easy to top their last offensive performance, but Nashville SC have a chance to string together their third win in four matches on Saturday afternoon when they visit Atlanta United.

Nashville (5-4-1, 16 points) became just the fifth team in MLS history to score five goals in the first half, leading to a 7-2 win over the Chicago Fire. Sam Surridge netted four of the goals, becoming the club's first player to accomplish the feat.

"Each week, Sam puts in a really good shift," Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said. "He's been doing everything for us, every match, and he was rewarded for that. He's been putting himself in really good opportunities and we knew if he continued to get those opportunities and put himself there, it was going to break through."

Surridge, 26, has six goals to surpass Hany Mukhtar (four) for the team lead .

Atlanta (2-5-3, nine points) is in desperate need of a victory and some offensive production.

Shut out in three straight matches, the club last scored a goal on April 5 when it tied FC Dallas. Atlanta's minus-eight goal differential ranks third worst in the Eastern Conference, only ahead of D.C. United (minus-11) and CF Montreal (minus-10).

"We have to accept the situation right now. It's not a situation we want to be in, but at the same time, we are in it," Atlanta United coach Ronny Deila said. "So, talking about results now, that's not the right way to see it. We have to think about our performances, and they are not good enough. ... It's about how we can turn this around. Then we'll learn more about ourselves and about each other as a group. We will come stronger from it, that I'm sure of."

Emmanuel Latte Lath, who leads the team with five goals, is back Saturday after serving a one-match suspension for the accumulation of five yellow cards. Miguel Almiron follows with a pair of goals on the season.

--Field Level Media