Nashville SC begin post-Gary Smith era vs. stumbling Atlanta

Struggling Nashville SC will look for guidance from Rumba Munthali on Saturday afternoon when the club hosts Atlanta United.

Nashville SC (3-4-5, 14 points) on Thursday parted ways with Gary Smith, the only coach in the franchise's Major League Soccer history.

The move came one day after Nashville recorded a 2-0 victory over short-handed Toronto FC to snap a 1-4-2 rut. Shaq Moore, who scored his first career MLS goal in the 81st minute, praised the team's commitment at the other end of the pitch.

"It's been our identity since I've been here and before I got here," Moore said, per the Tennessean. "That's something we really wanted to get back to."

Munthali, 45, has been Nashville's player development coach since arriving from Sporting Kansas City in 2023. He will serve as the interim coach while the club searches for a permanent replacement.

Nashville SC will try their luck against Atlanta (3-6-3, 12 points), which dropped a 1-0 decision Wednesday to FC Cincinnati to extend its winless streak in the league to seven matches (0-4-3). The Five Stripes are 0-3-2 on road this season to boot.

"These are things that aren't X's and O's," Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "These are things that, it's got to hurt more to lose than joy to win. It's got to hurt. We need to, excuse my language, but we need to like roll our sleeves up and be frickin' men about this."

Adding injury to insult for Atlanta United, Thiago Almada sustained a mild calf strain on Wednesday and has been ruled out for Saturday's match.

Almada may not be alone on the sideline, however. Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis reportedly is nursing a hamstring injury, putting his availability in jeopardy.

Giakoumakis leads Atlanta with five goals, while Sam Surridge has five tallies to propel Nashville.