Anibal Godoy insists Nashville already sees Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes as a must-win.
Nashville has won just once in MLS this season and sits in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a four-game winless streak.
The Earthquakes are now bottom of the Western Conference, having lost eight of their games and recorded just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could impact their playoff hopes down the road, but is confident Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “It’s an important week for us. We have to win on this day, otherwise we will feel the pressure from the other teams who are drifting apart in the table.
“This league is long, but if we want to get into the playoffs you have to win games early, especially at home.”
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– Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) April 25, 2024
The midfielder knows the Earthquakes will be a tough test despite their poor start to the season, adding: “The stats say one thing but the team says another. The way they play shows that they create a lot of chances, but they haven’t had any luck in the last few games.
“They controlled the games they lost and we have to be aware of that threat. They play better when they walk away. We have to think about ourselves – they came to do something, but we have to see where we can improve to get three points.
“If we get three points, everything changes for us.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar was involved in all three goals Nashville SC scored against the Earthquakes, scoring twice in April 2022 and providing an assist on Nashville’s only goal in September 2023.
San Jose – Cristian Espinoza
Espinoza may have only scored one goal so far this season, but he is currently the team’s leader in assists and has assisted on five goals so far, including Benjamin Kikanovic’s goal in the last loss to LA Galaxy.
MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE SC WIN
Going back to the end of last season, Nashville SC had won just one of its last 11 MLS games (D4 L6, including playoffs). They won six of their seven games between late April and early June last season, but have won just five times in 28 league games since then (U10 L13, including playoffs).
However, the Earthquakes have lost eight of their first nine games of the season (W1), the third team in MLS history to do so (DC United in 2010, Toronto in 2012). Only Toronto lost nine of its first ten games of a season in 2012.
All three previous meetings between Nashville SC and San Jose ended in draws, all with varying results (0-0, 1-1, 2-2).
OPTA PROBABILITY OF WINNING
Nashville – 54.1%
Draw – 26.4%
San Jose earthquake – 19.5%