Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids: Preview and How to Watch
By Sean Curtis
Two teams coming off big wins last weekend on are a mid-week collision course. The Fire face-off against the Rapids Wednesday night, and here is a preview of the match.
Both the Chicago Fire and the Colorado Rapids are going through very different seasons than the ones they experienced last year. Last year, the Fire won just seven games across the entire season. Now that they have the additions of Dax McCarty and Bastian Schweinsteiger, the Fire have already won four of their first ten games.
The Rapids, on the other hand, are experiencing a turnaround in the other direction. In 2016, they came just a game short of winning the Supporter’s Shield, and now they are in last place in the MLS. A recent formation change, however, may be just what the club needed to turn things around. Either way, it is bound to be an interesting game.
Colorado Rapids
Current Record (W-L-D): 2-1-6 (11th in the West)
Last Time Out: 3-0 Win at home over San Jose
Player to Watch For: Shkëlzen Gashi is finally healthy and playing the full 90 minutes again for the Colorado Rapids. Thanks to the new formation and the return of his health, Gashi managed to bag a brace last week against San Jose. When he is in form, he will always be the Rapids most dangerous attacker.
Why They Win: The Rapids switched to a 4-4-2 last week, and it all seemed to pay off. The defense played as expected, and the offense finally woke up. The Rapids had only scored five goals coming into last week, and they managed to score three in one game. Keeping two forwards may be all they need to cause havoc to the Chicago back line and score a few goals.
Why They Won’t: The offense falls back asleep. If it turns out that last week was just a fluke, the Rapids may fall back into their same old ways of not scoring. If this is the case, well, it’s pretty hard to come away with a win if you can’t score (and by hard I mean impossible).
Predicted Starting XI:
Chicago Fire
Current Record (W-L-D): 4-3-3 (6th in the East)
Last Time Out: 4-1 Win at home over Seattle
Player to Watch For: Bastian Schweinsteiger could be the player that makes or breaks the game. Since he joined Chicago, he has been playing a number 10 role, and Chicago’s offense has received a significant boost since that happened. With the Rapids only playing two center mids, Schweinsteiger may find himself in a bit of space if Azira can’t keep him under wraps. The Azira-Schweinsteiger duel could prove to be the deciding factor in this game.
Why They Win: They score goals. If Chicago is able to get a lead, especially by multiple goals, the Rapids could become demoralized and fall apart. Their offense is shaky at best, and any sort of deficit could see them look defeated.
Why They Won’t: They don’t score goals. The Rapids are used to boasting a strong defense and a scrappy offense. If the defense holds up and Chicago can’t manage to score, the Rapids could end up getting a scrappy goal and winning 1-0 like they did so many times last year.
Projected Starting XI:
Prediction:
How To Watch
Where: Toyota Park
When: Wednesday, May 17, 8:30 p.m. ET
Channel: MLS LIVE, Altitude Sports and Entertainment