Nashville SC believes it can play with the best in the USL, including FC Cincinnati

Nick Gray | Nashville Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Nashville SC fans cheer on their team against FC Cincinnati FC Cincinnati was in Music City on Saturday to take on Nashville SC and Nashville's fans turned out in force to root for their team.

Nashville SC knows it can have success against FC Cincinnati. In fact, Nashville has been one of the most successful teams against the Eastern Conference one-seed this season.

But to advance past the first round, it'll need more than a draw.

Nashville's first USL Playoffs opportunity comes at 3 p.m. Saturday at Nippert Stadium against USL regular season champion FC Cincinnati, a team Nashville has earned three draws against in three matches, including a 3-3 draw last Saturday.

"We have given as good as we’ve gotten in these games," Nashville coach Gary Smith said, noting that Nashville SC was one of two Eastern Conference teams to not lose a game to the East's best team.

Both teams are in good form. FC Cincinnati is carrying a 23-match unbeaten streak in the USL with a 17-0-6 record since the end of May. Three of the six matches in which Cincinnati dropped points in that stretch came against Nashville SC, who are unbeaten in the last six matches.

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Good work against the best

All three games tell a different story.

In July at Nissan Stadium, neither team earned a prime opportunity at goal in a scoreless draw, though Nashville carried play and possession for the first hour. In August at Cincinnati, FC Cincinnati scored inside of the first minute of play and controlled the first half of play, but Tucker Hume struck for a goal in the 85th minute to earn a point for Nashville.

Last week, both teams loosened up and provided the most free-flowing game at First Tennessee Park all season. The 3-3 draw was a unique scoreline for Nashville this year; only four other NSC matches featured more than three total goals between the two teams.

"If you look at the other two games we had against Cincinnati, it was always kind of back and forth (like last Saturday's match)," midfielder Bolu Akinyode said. "I think that is the kind of the matchup they provide for us and I think that plays a part of (having comfort in playing FC Cincinnati)."

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Confidence

Nashville SC is an unique position going into its first USL playoff match. They are the eighth-seeded underdog on a good run headed into the league's toughest environment to play the regular season champions.

But a confident underdog with belief can be dangerous, especially in a game that opens up for the taking.

"Not only we're in there fighting, but I think we're in a good place," Smith said after last Saturday's match. "I'm really not frightened in going to any of the top four groups, and I know the players are not as well, which is even better."

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Nashville SC injury updates

Lebo Moloto (knee) and Michael Reed (hamstring) are questionable heading into Saturday's match

Both are key influences in the lineup; Moloto has the most shots on targets this season, while Reed has created the most scoring chances. Both players have turned up the offensive skill in the final weeks of the season before suffering injuries.

Moloto has been out since Sept. 22, while Reed limped off the field in the 19th minute during last Saturday's match.