Charlotte FC takes on Nashville for first in MLS East table

CHARLOTTE FC

Charlotte FC wing Wilfried Zaha, who scored the game-winning goal against Philadelphia Union last week, will miss Saturday's match against Nashville SC due to yellow card accumulation.

Saturday’s Nashville-Charlotte FC match is a test of depth.

Nashville, which has a date in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals against Club América, played a 0-0 draw at home on April 14 and will likely present a rotated lineup at the Crown with another midweek match on Tuesday at Club América in the Second Leg of the series in Mexico City, Mexico. The winner on aggregate will advance to the semifinals.

The Crown, which is 3-0-1 during a five-match home stand, will face a similar issue, although with less hectic travel plans, when they take on USL League One side Charlotte Independence in a U.S. Open Cup match in Matthews on April 15. Charlotte drew top priority for their group, meaning that if they advance past Independence in the round of 32, they’ll host the Atlanta United-Chattanooga FC winner in the round of 16.

“Honestly, I’ve not thought about it,” Crown coach Dean Smith said earlier this week. “I’d love to be able to tell you more, but I’ve not thought about it all. We have games, and the way my mind works is, ‘OK we’ve got Nashville. Let’s concentrate on Nashville.’ 

“We’ve got people employed at the club, analysts will be looking at the opposition, see what they can do. You know what I know about Charlotte Independence, and I’ve been to watch them before. I’ve been to watch my son play there before – really well-run club. They’ve come here a number of times and played friendlies against us and once we get there, we’ll look forward to that game.” 

At stake for Charlotte on Saturday is a chance to vault atop the MLS Eastern Conference, a spot Nashville holds with 13 points (4-1-1). The Crown, which is tied with New York City and Inter Miami at 11 points (3-1-2), can seize the top spot with a win. Nashville lost its most recent MLS fixture 1-0 against Chicago Fire on a first-minute goal. 

Nashville’s rotation will likely come on the attacking end of Hany Mukhtar, Christian Espinoza, and MLS-leading goalscorer Sam Surridge, MLS’s top scorer either sitting or playing restricted minutes. The Crown will be without wing Wilfried Zaha, who tallied the game-winner in a 2-1 result against Philadelphia last week, due to yellow card accumulation. 

“Wilf is unavailable after becoming a record breaker, so he’s unable to play in the game,” Smith said. “Other than that, everybody is available for selection.”

Liel Ababa, a designated player who has yet to score in 2026 and relegated to a reserve role the last two matches, is a candidate to replace Zaha.

“We’ve got a number of options, and I’ve looked at a few …in training,” Smith said, “but you’ve got the straight swap-in – Liel coming in for him, or Tyger [Smalls] coming in for Wilf, or we can change it a little bit structurally. One thing we don’t know is, is what is what Nashville will play because they’ve just had a game this week. They’ve got another game next week as well, so there is the opportunity.”

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