Los Angeles FC will be looking to snap their three-game winless run when they play host to Nashville SC at the BMO Stadium in the MLS on Saturday.
Having secured their first win of the season last time out, the Boys in Gold will head into the weekend looking to pick up consecutive victories for the first time since June 2023.
Match preview
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Los Angeles FC were condemned to a second consecutive away defeat this season as they were beaten 2-0 by Minnesota United when the sides met last Sunday.
Finish striker Robin Lod set the Loons on their way to all three points with a 16th-minute strike at Allianz Field before Bongokuhle Hlongwane put the result beyond reach in the 88th minute.
Since kicking off the season with a 2-1 home victory over Seattle Sounder on February 24, Steven Cherundolo's men have failed to win their subsequent three matches, placing up one point from a possible nine.
Notably, their two defeats this season have come on their travels, but this poor run of form has been owing to their lack of sting at the attacking end of the pitch, where they have failed to find the back of the net in three consecutive matches.
Los Angeles FC now return home, where they are unbeaten in each of their last five MLS matches, picking up four wins and one draw since a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Salt Lake on October 2.
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Nashville, on the other hand, picked up their first league win of the campaign last time out when they scraped a 2-1 victory over Charlotte FC when the sides squared off at Geodis Park.
Sam Surridge and 28-year-old midfielder Alex Muyl scored in an eight-minute spell to put the home side in a comfortable lead before Belgian forward Brecht Dejaegere pulled one back for Charlotte on the stroke of half time.
Prior to that, Nashville were dumped out of the Champions Cup on March 14 as they fell to a 3-1 second-leg defeat against a Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami side, having played out a 2-2 draw in the reverse leg one week earlier.
Having played out three consecutive stalemates in their first three MLS games of the season, Gary Smith's men head into the weekend as one of just four sides yet to suffer defeat and in the Eastern Conference, alongside Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati and Philadelphia Union.
While Nashville will look to pick up where they left off last Sunday, they must show their mettle on the road, where they have failed to win any of their last four games in the league, stretching back to a 3-0 victory at Sporting Kansas City on September 24.
Team News
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Los Angeles FC remain without the services of Colombian forward Tomas Angel, who is set to sit out his third consecutive game after coming off with a groin injury against Real Salt Lake on March 2.
Nineteen-year-old Lorenzo Dellavalle has been out of action since September through a severe knee injury and the Italian defender will play no part in Saturday's game.
As for Nashville, Smith will be unable to name veteran defender Walker Zimmerman, who has been sidelined since coming off with a knee injury against Inter Miami on March 8.
He is joined in the Boys in Gold's injury table by Costa Rican midfielder Randall Leal, who has been out of action since sustaining a severe hip injury back in October.
With his strike against Charlotte, former Nottingham Forest forward Surridge has now scored in back-to-back games for Nashville and the English striker will be one to keep an eye on.
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Hollingshead, Murillo, Long, Campos; Tillman, Sanchez, Atuesta; Olivera, Bogusz, Bouanga
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Moore, Macnaughton, Maher, Washington; Yearwood, Anunga; Boyd, Mukhtar, Muyl; Surridge
We say: Los Angeles FC 1-1 Nashville SC
After a fine start to the season, Los Angeles FC appear to have run out of steam and will be looking to secure a morale-boosting result this weekend. However, we predict Nashville will build on last week's win over Charlotte and force a share of the spoils at BMO Stadium.
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