After earning a hard-fought 0-0 draw against the Philadelphia Union, the Columbus Crew are headed to the Windy City in hopes to extend their unbeaten run to six games. With Chicago coming off of a 2-1 loss against the San Jose Earthquakes, the Fire are looking to have the home crowd lift up the spirits in this rivalry.
Chicago Fire vs Columbus Crew
The goal for the Fire is simple. Win. They have the home crowd, and the familiarity with the field is in their favor. In addition, Chicago has kept 10 clean sheets in its last 15 home matches, which is tied for the most home clean sheets since the start of last August.
On the flip side, Columbus need three points. Unbeaten in six, it’s a good streak to have but having a road win will be even better in the hopes of getting back into the playoff picture. They also are hopeful for the debut of newly minted striker Cucho Hernandez. Although he may not start, the Colombian will hopefully get a solid shift in and make a difference for the Black & Gold.
Team news
The Columbus Crew are looking healthy yet again. Although they are missing Artur (R Lower Leg) and Marlon Hairston (R Thigh) — who are listed as questionable — the Black & Gold are just mere days away from a completely healthy team.
Chicago Fire will be without Kendall Burks (R Knee) and Wyatt Omsberg (L Foot). Although two players don’t really mean much, the Fire will come out swinging putting their best foot forward against their arch nemesis from the Buckeye State.
Caleb Porter – Crew Head Coach
When asked about what he has seen from Chicago this season, Caleb Porter said that he’s seen consistency in their formation. “I think they’ve been unlucky at times in terms of turning chances into goals, and not turning goals into wins. We’ve analyzed them, we know what we need to do.”
Porter also went on to say that the road results this year are much better than the past.
“We’ve been one of the best road teams in the league this year, taking results in seven out of nine games on the road, two wins and five draws; ‘can we continue our positive mentality on the road at Chicago.'”
Kickoff is set for 8pm EDT/7pm CT.
