Chicago Fire FC (2-2-4, 10th in East) vs. New York Red Bulls (4-2-2, 2nd in East)
Chicago Fire FC will look to salute Chicago Sports (promotional) with a win over New York Red Bulls on Saturday night. The Fire are coming off yet another porous performance offensively coupled with a defensive capitulation in the final 20 minutes against Minnesota United last Saturday. Federico Navarro will miss the match due to his red card against the Loons.
It is also hoped that Xherdan Shaqiri will return to full fitness after a half-fit Shaqiri was ineffective. Jairo Torres will come to the Fire in May to help on one wing. The Fire hope to get more help in the Summer transfer window failing the remaining days of this window which ends on Wednesday.
The Fire faithful are starving for a goal after going four straight league matches without scoring for the second time in ten matches dating back to the final matches of the 2021 season. The only other time the club had gone four straight league matches without scoring is September 2010.
The Red Bulls come into this match with a 100% record away from Red Bull Arena (0-2-2 at RBA) and second in the Eastern Conference. They became the first team in 24 years to win their first four road games of the season.
Possession may be hard to come by for the Fire as in all four wins, the Red Bulls have held their opposition to less than 40% of the ball.
The Fire and Shaqiri need to stop be similar to most Bears teams when Walter Payton was playing in that if you stopped Walter Payton, you effectively stop the Bears. The skinny has become that if you stop Shaqiri, you stop the Fire on attack as the Fire lack wing support at present. The 4-2-3-1 is only effective if you have three effective attacking midfielders who all can service the ball to the one forward. Preferable, two of them have to be true wing midfielders (which Jonathan Bornstein and Brian Gutierrez are not).
Kickoff for the match is at 7pm CT on WGN-TV.
INJURIES:
CHICAGO FIRE FC: QUESTIONABLE: Fabian Herbers (right hip), Kacper Przybyłko (left calf), Carlos Terán (left lower leg); OUT: Spencer Richey (head)
NEW YORK RED BULLS: OUT: Andres Reyes (foot), Caden Clark (knee), Serge Ngoma (hamstring)
SUSPENDED:
CHI: Federico Navarro
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW:
RBNY: Cristian Casseres Jr.
Referee: Jon Freemon
Assistant Referees: Jason White, Meghan Mullen
Fourth Official: Chris Ruskin
VAR: Victor Rivas
LAST YEAR:
5/01/21: RBNY 2-0 CHI
8/08/21: CHI 2-1 RBNY
8/28/21: RBNY 0-1 CHI
