Loons at Nashville preview: From All-Star teammates to star opponents

Sunday's game reunites MLS All-Stars Walker Zimmerman, Hany Mukhtar, Emanuel Reynoso and Dayne St. Clair after just four days together in St. Paul. Mukhtar won Tuesday's Skills Challenge for MLS with a successful 40-yard strike that won the fifth of five events — the crossbar challenge. It in turn won the challenge overall 3-2. St. Clair then earned All-Star Game MVP the next night for his 30-minute shutout stint in a 2-1 victory over Mexico's Liga MX All-Stars. This time, they face each other — Zimmerman and Mukhtar for Nashville, Reynoso and St. Clair for the Loons. Mukhtar and Reynoso are both league MVP candidates. "Reynoso's a great guy, but even a better player," Mukhtar said Friday. "We have to be careful. He has a good left foot." … Nashville coach Gary Smith called Muhktar "the greatest crossbar champion in the world now" and praised Loons and MLS team coach Adrian Heath. "I thought he handled the situation incredibly well," Smith said. "Well, of course, I would say that because Hany and Walker played 30 and 45 minutes." … The Loons' seven-game unbeaten streak ended with last Saturday's 4-3 loss at Colorado. They're in fourth place, two points ahead of sixth-place Nashville. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in the season's second game, at Allianz Field in early March. Nashville is 3-3-5 at home this season. … Prior Lake's Teal Bunbury has scored in four consecutive games now that he's back in the starting lineup after an injury. Former Loons defender Eric Miller plays for Nashville.