FC Cincinnati enters their game against the Chicago Fire nursing one of their worst performances of the season in a 3-1 loss to Charlotte FC, highlighting the team’s 2024 struggles at home.
Outworked and outplayed, FCC not only came away with no points, but the team was also left with more questions about squad depth and future rotations as Miles Robinson received a red card, suspending him for this game against Chicago, and Lucho Acosta was subbed out with a foot injury.
Any time you are playing without your MVP candidate, which is not certain as he has played through before, it is appropriate to have a feeling of nervousness entering a game. However, there are fewer better times than to run into a team at the bottom of the East.
Sitting in 14th place in the East, the Chicago Fire (5-11-7, 22 pts) visit TQL instilling mixed feelings in their fans.
At the beginning of the summer, Chicago bid farewell to their big-name Designated Player Xherdan Shaqiri, as the ex-Liverpool and Bayern Munich player departed to play for the Swiss National Team in the 2024 Euros. While there, he became the first active MLS player to score a goal in the Euros, but the positive performances seem to not bring much joy to the Windy City fanbase.
Leading up to the Euros, the Chicago front office bid him farewell prior to the International window opening and have not fought for him to return from Europe, despite the Swiss being eliminated on July 6.
If this truly does signal that he won’t return, and there are rumors of a move away to Europe emerging, those in Chicago may not be upset to see him leave. Since his departure on May 28, the Fire have earned nearly as many points (12 pts in 9 games), as when he was with the squad (14 pts in 14 games).
By not having one of the highest-paid players in the league available and creating pressure to be played, it has allowed Chicago to switch to a more natural formation with the backline moving to a back three and homegrown player Brian Gutierrez moving from the wing into the 10 position.
And it had immediate effects as Chicago went out and secured back-to-back draws followed by two victories over Toronto and a red-hot LA Galaxy side. The results have since cooled a bit with losses to the Seattle Sounders, Orlando City, and San Jose Earthquakes, while producing a dull 0-0 draw against NYCFC over the weekend.
The recent results have also shown some points of hope for the Men in Red. Their offseason acquisition of striker Hugo Cuypers seems to be growing comfortable in the league and is producing goals in the new formation. The Belgian League Golden Boot winner has found the back of the net six times in the last nine games and has a nose for the dramatic, as he scored the winning goal in their last two victories.
While FCC may still have the upper hand in talent, Chicago Fire’s manager Frank Klopas certainly sees this as a winnable game for them.
“I just think it’s an opportunity for us,” Klopas said. “You’re playing against a very good team. I think the one thing to look at from their five losses (this season), four have been at home. For us, we want to be aggressive, that’s for sure.”
With likely no Lucho leading the squad and a team looking to pounce on weakened opponents in their push for a playoff position, this Wednesday game will be a test of beating the pressure as much as it is a test of talent.
When: Wednesday, July 16, 7:30 p.m.
Where: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on AppleTV+ (Sign up here)
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