FC Cincinnati vs Chicago Fire – Match Preview
By Adnan Bašić
There’s a Midwestern clash in MLS this weekend as FC Cincinnati hosts the Chicago Fire at TQL Stadium on Saturday night.
Cincinnati’s dream season continued during the week as they traveled to Yankee Stadium and beat NYCFC 3-1. It was their sixth win in seven matches, and it increased their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference standings to eight points. They’re loving life at the moment, and they’ll look to keep the good times rolling with another victory here.
It’s a very different story for Chicago. They’re just plodding away in MLS, and their bore 0-0 draw away to Toronto FC was simply another underwhelming day at the office. It’s clear they’re focusing on the U.S. Open Cup for now, which is somewhat fair, but they still have to make sure they don’t slip up too much in league play. Then again 9 out of 15 teams make the playoffs in the East, so they have time to recover. Don’t expect that to happen here, though.
Player availability
Cincinnati will be without Brenner, Stiven Jimenez, and Sergio Santos for the contest.
Chicago won’t have Carlos Terán, Chris Mueller, Sergio Oregel Jr, and Mauricio Pineda this weekend, while Chris Brady and Jonathan Dean are doubts for the match.
Predicted lineups
FC Cincinnati: Celentano, Mosquera, Miazga, Murphy, Arias, Kubo, Moreno, Barreal, Acosta, Vazquez, Badji
Chicago Fire: Richey, Haile-Selassie, Souquet, Burks, Omsberg, Aceves, Herbers, Torres, Gutiérrez, Koutsias, Przybylko
What to watch for
Rocking and rolling
Cincinnati’s been excellent this season, but their home record in particular is absolutely outstanding. They’ve won all eight of their games at TQL Stadium in league play, and they’ve also won two Open Cup matches there as well.
That’s why they’ll want to win once again this weekend, even if they’re in a very comfortable spot in the standings. Sure, Cincy probably won’t maintain this streak for the entire campaign, but they might as well keep it going for as long as possible. The fact that they’ll be up against a nearby neighbor will only add further motivation, especially given the recent history between the two.
Put it in rotation
It will be interesting to see how different of a lineup Chicago rolls out for this game. Everyone knows that they are prioritizing the U.S. Open Cup, and their next contest in that tournament is on Tuesday.
They’ll need their best eleven available then, so that means plenty of rest and rotation this weekend. Just how many changes are made to the side remains to be seen, but don’t expect anything close to a first-choice lineup.
The curious case of Guti
Someone who fans should keep an especially keen eye on is Brian Gutiérrez. He had been a star for the club earlier this season, but he’s been benched for the Fire’s last two games. The timing is very interesting since the club decided not to release him for the U-20 World Cup, but that’s another thing entirely.
What matters this weekend is how the club manages his minutes. Do they start him here and risk him being a bit tired for the Open Cup game, or do they bench him once again? Is he even going to start the Open Cup match? The good news is we’ll learn a bit about the whole situation when the lineups are announced on Saturday.
Recent meetings
It feels like chaos is in the air whenever these two sides face off.
Their meeting earlier this season at Soldier Field is a perfect example of that. Cincinnati took an early lead, but then Chicago responded by scoring three straight goals. That wasn’t the end of the action, though, and Cincy actually tied things with two goals in the span of three minutes.
In last season’s contest at TQL Stadium, the Fire jumped out to a 3-0 lead despite already being eliminated from playoff contention. Cincinnati tried to make a comeback, and they pulled two back, but it was ultimately too little too late.
The other match in 2022 was also wild. Chicago found an equalizer in the 83rd minute, but then Cincy grabbed a winner two minutes later to steal all three points on the road.
If history is any indication, things are going to get weird.
How to watch
The match kicks off at 7:30 pm Eastern time, and it will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.