Nashville one point from Supporters' Shield as Callaghan warns squad against daydreaming

Nashville one win from history

Nashville SC can clinch the MLS Supporters' Shield for the first time in club history when they visit Eastern Conference basement side CF Montreal on Saturday. A win or a draw at Stade Saputo will be enough for BJ Callaghan's side to secure the regular-season crown, after a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes last time out left them on the brink.

The Boys in Gold have already sealed top spot in the Eastern Conference for the first time in their history, and they could yet set a new MLS single-season points record should they collect eight points from their final four matches. Nashville, who became the first MLS side to clinch a playoff berth with a 3-0 win over Chicago Fire on September 24, have since turned their full attention to the Shield.

Callaghan: "We don't daydream"

Despite the prospect of a historic campaign, Callaghan has urged his players to keep their eyes firmly on the task in Montreal rather than the silverware that awaits.

"We don't daydream. We don't think about there; we know where we want to go," said Callaghan. "That's the image of ourselves that we're chasing. But how we go about it is by turning the page each day, and that's where we remain focused on.

"There'll be plenty of time for other people to decide how chapter seven stacks up in the history books of Nashville, but that's not for us. Our vision is to take steps each and every day to work, to compete and to execute at an elite standard on this vision of trying to become elite."

Midfielder Cristian Espinoza echoed his manager's focus, with Nashville determined to take maximum points on the road.

"We have the next opportunity in Montreal," said Espinoza. "Whether it's at home or away, we go with a mindset to take the three points, and that's what we are going to do in Montreal."

Montreal's slim hopes

Montreal sit bottom of the East after a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders, and they also lost the Canadian Championship final against Forge during the week. To keep alive any faint hope of a miraculous postseason recovery, they must beat Nashville.

Key to their chances will be forward Prince Owusu, who missed the Seattle draw but returns for the visit of the conference leaders. Owusu leads Montreal with 15 goals and six assists this season.

For Nashville, Hany Mukhtar is the man in form. The German scored in the San Jose draw for his 16th league goal of the campaign — his 10th since the World Cup break — and has now found the net in each of his last five MLS games (six goals), equalling his best scoring streak in the competition.

Form and history favor Nashville

Nashville are unbeaten in their last six MLS matches (W4 D2) and have lost just twice in their last 24 league games (W16 D6). Only Inter Miami (30) have won more points on the road this season than Nashville (24) among Eastern Conference clubs.

When the sides met in July, Sam Surridge's penalty settled a 1-0 win for Nashville. The conference leaders are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Montreal (W3 D2), though they have failed to win on their last three away trips (D2 L1).

Opta give Nashville a 55.3% win probability, against 22.5% for Montreal and 22.2% for a draw.