GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee (capacity approximately 30,000).
Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. CT,
Broadcast on Apple TV.
Records and Standings
Nashville SC: 19-3-6 (63 points), 1st overall in MLS and the Eastern Conference. They hold a substantial lead in the Supporters’ Shield race after a historic start (best 28-match points total in MLS history).
Sporting Kansas City: 6-18-4 (22 points), near the bottom of the Western Conference / overall table.
Nashville is in dominant form and chasing regular-season hardware; Sporting KC is fighting for respect and to avoid a historically poor campaign.
Venue and Weather Forecast
GEODIS Park (Nashville, TN). Forecast for Wednesday, October 14: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy, high near 89–90°F, low around 64–67°F. Southwest winds 5–10 mph; precipitation chance low (~10% or less during the evening kickoff window). Warm, comfortable conditions expected with minimal weather interference.
Current Key Rosters / Projected Influences
Nashville SC (key contributors):
Goalkeepers: Brian Schwake (strong clean-sheet form), Joe Willis.
Defenders: Maxwell Woledzi, Jeisson Palacios, Andy Najar, Reed Baker-Whiting, Daniel Lovitz, Jack Maher, Josh Bauer.
Midfielders: Hany Mukhtar (star creator/scorer), Cristian Espinoza, Patrick Yazbek, Edvard Tagseth, Matthew Corcoran, Bryan Acosta, Shak Mohammed.
Forwards: Sam Surridge (16+ goals, primary finisher), Elias Saad, Warren Madrigal, Alex Muyl.
Sporting Kansas City (key contributors):
Goalkeepers: Stefan Cleveland, John Pulskamp.
Defenders: Jansen Miller, Wyatt Meyer, Emir Karić, Justin Reynolds, Zorhan Bassong, Ian James (several key CBs out).
Midfielders: Lasse Berg Johnsen (questionable), Jacob Bartlett, Kwaku Agyabeng, Calvin Harris.
Forwards/Attackers: André Luiz (hot form with recent goals), Stephen Afrifa, Taylor Calheira, Shapi Suleymanov. Note: Game-day 26-man rosters are finalized closer to kickoff.
Injury Reports
Nashville SC: Owen Presthus out (lower body). Minimal other absences; core attack and defense largely intact. Warren Madrigal has dealt with knocks but appears available in recent reports.
Sporting Kansas City: Significant absences — Or Blorian (chest), Diego Borges (adductor), Capita Capemba (FIFA regulation/hamstring-related), Jake Davis (knee), Moises Mosquera (hamstring), Owen Wolff (quad). Lasse Berg Johnsen questionable (hamstring). The defensive and midfield depth is heavily strained.
Recent Team Forms
Nashville SC: Exceptional. Unbeaten in 20 of last 22 MLS matches (15W-2L-5D). Recent results include a dominant 4-1 road win at Austin on Oct. 10 (goals from Reed Baker-Whiting, Elias Saad, Shak Mohammed, Hany Mukhtar), 2-0 home win over Toronto, and 3-0 over Chicago. They set club records for wins and goals while leading the league in points and defensive metrics.
Sporting Kansas City: Struggling overall but showed fight in a 3-3 home draw with Portland on Oct. 10 (André Luiz scored twice in a comeback). Prior results mixed: 1-2 loss at Seattle, 2-0 win at Houston, high-scoring losses (e.g., 3-4 to Philadelphia). Defensive issues persist (conceding heavily), though the attack has shown occasional spark via André Luiz.
Series History / Head-to-Head
Meetings have been limited as inter-conference fixtures. Nashville holds recent edges in form and quality. Historical results favor competitive but generally low-to-moderate scoring affairs when they have met; Nashville’s current superiority makes them clear favorites regardless of past trends. Specific 2026 first-meeting details (if any) lean toward the stronger side controlling proceedings.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Sam Surridge / Hany Mukhtar (NSH) vs. Sporting KC center backs (Miller/Meyer and depleted unit): Nashville’s lethal front line (Surridge’s finishing + Mukhtar’s creation/vision) will test a heavily injured SKC backline. Expect overloads and clinical finishing.
André Luiz / Calvin Harris (SKC) vs. Nashville defense (Woledzi, Palacios, Najar): SKC’s best chance is counter-attacking or set pieces through Luiz’s recent form. Nashville’s organized, high-pressing defense and Schwake in goal should limit opportunities.
Midfield control: Mukhtar/Espinoza/Yazbek vs. depleted SKC midfield (Johnsen questionable). Nashville should dominate possession and chance creation.
Transition and set pieces: Nashville’s width (Najar, Baker-Whiting) and aerial threat favor them; SKC must stay compact to avoid a blowout.
Betting Trends
Nashville has covered big spreads and scored freely at home; SKC has been involved in higher-scoring games but rarely wins as big underdogs. Both teams to score is possible given SKC’s occasional attacking output, but Nashville clean sheets are frequent.
MATCH ODDS
Sporting Kansas City + 900
Nashville SC – 420
Draw + 600
Over 3.5 – 133 Under 3.5 + 102
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, October 13, 2026
