Chicago Fire FC (1-0-2, 6th in East) vs. Sporting Kansas City (1-2-0, 12th in West)
Chicago Fire FC will look maintain their unbeaten run as they host Sporting Kansas City on Saturday. Last Saturday, the Fire finally got on the board on goals by Stanislav Ivanov and Jonathan Bornstein to defeat DC United, 2-0. The Fire are off to their best start in 13 years and became the eighth team in MLS history to open with three clean sheets. Gaga Slonina has been a huge part of those clean sheets as well as captain Raphael Czichos. However, both are listed as question marks for Saturday’s match–Czichos with a left foot and Slonina with a left ankle.
Xherdan Shaqiri was more of an influence last Saturday in attack and it will be hoped that Kacper Przybylko will be more of an influence in attack as well as he is yet to get on the board. After seeing Gaston Gimenez improve during the match with Federico Navarro entering, perhaps the time is right for the latter to make his first start of the year.
Sporting Kansas City are off to a 1-2-0 start after road losses to Atlanta and Colorado sandwich a home win against Houston. They are without Alan Pulido for the foreseeable future and Johnny Russell is a question mark with a hamstring issue as are Daniel Salloi and Khiry Shelton with calf issues. Like the Fire, they have scored twice so far in the early going, but have conceded five away from Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting KC have won five of their last six against the Fire dating back to 2017, but currently have lost six of their last eight including last year’s playoff loss to Real Salt Lake.
Kickoff for the match is at 5pm CT on WGN-TV.
INJURIES:
CHICAGO FIRE FC: OUT: Carlos Terán (right thigh), Andre Reynolds II (left thigh); QUESTIONABLE: Victor Bezerra (right shoulder), Rafael Czichos (left foot), Gabriel Slonina (left ankle)
SPORTING KANSAS CITY: OUT: Gadi Kinda (surgery), Alan Pulido (surgery)
Referee: Timothy Ford
Assistant Referees: Chris Elliott, Gjovalin Bori
Fourth Official: Calin Radosav
VAR: Carol Anne Chenard
AVAR: Robert Schaap
LAST YEAR:
9/11/21: SKC 2-0 CHI
