(Photo credit: Steve Roberts)

Nashville SC will attempt to extend their march toward one of the best records in MLS history when they travel to square off with feisty Austin FC on Saturday in a late-season interconference fixture.

The Coyotes (18-3-6, 60 points) have been far and away the best team in MLS this year, with the Supporters' Shield in sight as well as a chance to set the record for most points by a team in a season. Inter Miami hold that mark with 74 points, set in 2024.

Nashville, which has already established a club mark for most points in a campaign, has seven games remaining, four of them on the road. The Coyotes are the only team to have clinched a spot in the postseason, and they head to the weekend 14 points clear of second-place New England and third-place Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference table and 10 points ahead of West leader Vancouver for the best record in the league.

'We're about turning the page every single day, getting better in areas that we need to,' Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said. 'And when I say getting better, the things that we're really good at, we wanna be elite at.'

The Coyotes travel to Austin on a two-game winning streak, with their latest contest a 2-0 home win over Toronto FC on Sept. 26. Hany Mukhtar scored both goals for Nashville SC in that victory, as they have righted their course after beginning September with a loss sandwiched by two draws.

Sam Surridge leads Nashville with 16 goals this season while Mukhtar paces the club with 20 goal contributions (13 goals, seven assists). Cristian Espinoza tops the Coyotes with 13 assists.

Austin FC (7-10-10, 31 points) head back to play after the two-week international break in 13th place in the West, five points behind the ninth-place Los Angeles Galaxy, who hold the last playoff position. The Verde are riding an eight-match unbeaten streak in which they have won three times and drawn five, including their past two outings.

Austin's most recent game was a 3-3 tie at home with San Diego FC on Sept. 26 in which the Verde produced their largest comeback in team history, erasing a three-goal second-half deficit thanks to Brandon Vazquez's first goal of the season and Christian Ramirez's late brace.

Austin interim coach Davy Arnaud realizes that his team will have to play its best soccer to beat Nashville and to stay in the playoff hunt.

'Nashville is very good, and we understand that. Listen, there is not an easy game in this league,' Arnaud said Friday. 'We say the most important thing is for us to be tough to beat. I think you've seen these guys, they're up for any challenge. I think they've shown that.'

--Field Level Media