An under-strength Toronto FC head to Tennessee to battle a slightly less under-strength Nashville SC, a side that looks to have rediscovered its scoring touch. Geodis Park, Nashville's home, has been a fortress for the top team in MLS this season, as the Coyotes boast a dazzling record of 12 wins and a draw in their 13 home games to date.

Nashville will be looking to continue their scintillating run at the top of the MLS table while exacting some revenge for their recent defeat in Toronto. The Reds are at the other extreme, hoping to avoid a third straight crushing loss, with the knowledge that their 2026 play-off pursuit is rapidly running out of runway.

Both teams will experience key absences due to the FIFA international window, which MLS is playing through for the first week. For the Reds, key defenders Richie Laryea and Benjamín Kuscevic will be away with Canada and Chile, respectively — and, by chance, they will be on opposing sides at BMO Field as Chile face Canada in Toronto. Markus Cimermancic will also be away on international duty, having been called up to the Slovenia U-21 team; he was initially expected to be available for selection on Saturday before departing for Europe. Nashville will be without American goalkeeper Brian Schwake and midfielders Patrick Yazbek and Ahmed Qasem, who are away with the US, Australia, and Iraq respectively.

Nashville's form

Nashville still lead MLS's Eastern Conference standings and the Supporters' Shield race by a fair margin, with 17 wins, six draws, and just three losses. Nashville are 11 points clear of the New England Revolution in the East, and the Vancouver Whitecaps are eight points behind in the race for the Shield. Nashville's game has few discernible weaknesses, as their league-low 21 goals conceded and +32 goal difference attest. Only Vancouver has a better goal difference, at 33.

Notably, one of those three Nashville losses came at the hands of the Reds on September 9, when Toronto came from behind to defeat Nashville 2-1 in stoppage time at BMO Field. Since that loss, Nashville have had a scoreless draw with New York City FC and a 4-0 demolition of FC Cincinnati. Toronto, meanwhile, have seemingly fallen off a cliff, with consecutive losses in which they scored just one goal across 180 minutes while conceding three in each defeat to Orlando City and St. Louis City.

Nashville's fearsome three-pronged attack featuring Sam Surridge (15 goals), Hany Mukhtar (10 goals, six assists), and Cristian Espinoza (three goals, ten assists) is available. It will look to improve on their subdued performance against Toronto earlier this month.

We see you, Brian 👀🇺🇸 https://t.co/8bNRC6F1p3

— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) September 22, 2026

Veteran Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis will stand between the sticks in the absence of first-choice keeper Brian Schwake. The 38-year-old Willis, Nashville's previous long-time starter, has yet to play a single minute this season. Schwake, a front-runner for this season's MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, earned his first senior US men's national team call-up this month.

Toronto's form

Toronto FC remain in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 29 points, three places and four points outside the play-in spots currently occupied by Red Bull New York and FC Cincinnati. Toronto's hopes for post-season action are hanging by a thread.

Toronto's 49 goals conceded is the fifth-worst total in the league. After appearing to clean up their defensive deficiencies with the return after the World Cup break, the Reds have begun leaking goals in September, with 11 in four matches. The recent skid does not come down to the defence alone — a sputtering attack has only added to the pressure on a back line that appears to be wearing down at the most inopportune time. Compounding the pressure is Walker Zimmerman's suspension on Saturday for yellow card accumulation.

Toronto's attack seemed to be coming around in August but has flatlined over the past two games, with only a single late consolation against St. Louis City. The Reds' most effective front three — Dániel Sallói (seven goals, six assists), Josh Sargent (seven goals, two assists), and Theo Corbeanu (one goal, three assists in half a season) — are all available for manager Robin Fraser. The question is whether Fraser deploys them from the start, as he has opted for the inconsistent Derrick Etienne Jr. of late.

If Toronto are going to experience any joy on Saturday night, it will have to start with the makeshift defence playing above expectations and the attack taking advantage of facing a veteran Nashville keeper who has yet to see a single minute in goal this season.

Cimer gets the 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/TiPGxQTHQz

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) September 18, 2026

Player availability

Nashville's injury situation is quite favourable, with just Warren Madrigal out with a lower-body injury. However, Schwake, Yazbek, and Qasem will miss the game due to international duties.

Toronto will have to continue without Đorđe Mihailović, who is still recovering from a thigh injury, and summer signing Nelson Palacio, who is done for the season after undergoing thigh surgery just over a week ago. As noted, Toronto will also be without Laryea, Kuscevic, and Cimermancic due to national team call-ups, and Walker Zimmerman is suspended.

Projected XIs

Nashville SC (4-3-3): Joe Willis; Reed Baker-Whiting, Jeison Palacios, Maxwell Woledzi, Andy Najar; Elias Saad, Edvard Tagseth, Shak Mohammed; Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, Cristian Espinoza

Toronto FC (4-2-3-1): Luka Gavran; Matheus Pereira, Nicksoen Gomis, Zane Monlouis, Kobe Franklin; Niklas Dorsch, Alonso Coello; Dániel Sallói, Jonathan Osorio, Theo Corbeanu; Josh Sargent

Game information and how to watch

⏰ 7:30 pm CT / 8:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm PT
📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
📺 Apple TV
👨‍⚖️ Ramy Touchan
🏟 Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee