After a rough start to the season as FC Cincinnati slogged through an intensive schedule of league and cup fixtures, things have recently turned up for the Orange and Blue. They now set their sights on a Chicago Fire squad sitting in the middle of the table and coming off a gritty 0-0 draw versus Inter Miami.
ORANGE AND BLUE
After coming away with all three points in the nation’s capital last weekend courtesy of a Dado Valenzuela first half goal, FCC looks to tally their fourth consecutive victory in league play. However, that task will be easier said than done.
Injuries continue to plague the Orange and Blue, as several large contributors remain out for this match.
Despite this, the results have been positive lately. With a combination of staunch defense and timely offense, two consecutive matches and six consecutive points have been tallied by back-to-back 1-0 results. This timely offense has come from players that flew under many fans’ radars coming into the season, with Sergio Santos and Dado Valenzuela both having a game winning effort.
A win in this match would catapult FCC up to 19 points and, depending on the results on the weekend for Charlotte and Columbus, potentially into 1st in the Eastern Conference.
CHICAGO FIRE FC
Where FCC has seen success as of late, it’s been more of a rough go of things for the Fire. They find themselves winless in their last three fixtures. However, their latest result, a scoreless draw against Inter Miami, has imbued some confidence into their fanbase.
Truth be told their position at 8th in the Eastern Conference is an inaccurate representation of their potential as a squad. Their three wins all came in succession in March, a stretch that saw them knock off Dallas, Toronto, and Vancouver. That win over Vancouver is looking more impressive by the day, as the Whitecaps sit 1st in the West with 19 points.
The Fire roster and attack are headlined by Hugo Cuypers. The Belgian striker has tallied five goals this season and has tallied 15 in his 39 total appearances with the Fire. In addition to Cuypers, the Orange and Blue faithful ought to keep their eye on Jonathan Bamba. Signed from Celta Vigo in January, the Ivory Coast native has four goal contributions for the Fire thus far.
OVERVIEW
Overall, matches between these two sides have always delivered in terms of entertainment factor. Additionally, the all-time series split is pretty even, with the Fire taking a slight edge with five wins to FCC’s four.
MATCH INFO
Where: Soldier Field
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
Watch: MLS Season Pass Apple TV+
A previous version of this article listed Evander as out due to injury. However, Evander is not listed on FC Cincinnati’s injury list.
Recommended for you
