The Chicago Fire return to Toyota Park with aspirations of a fifth home victory in their last six outings in their own building, hosting Orlando City SC at 7:30 p.m. CT Saturday in a match presented by Heineken. The match is the first between the two clubs since Orlando City's ascension to Major League Soccer prior to this season; OCSC previously visited Toyota Park for a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match on June 26, 2013, a 5-1 victory for the Fire (Highlights, Box Score).
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Fans not in attendance at Toyota Park are invited to catch the match on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. A Spanish-language radio broadcast is available via ESPN Deportes 97.5 FM Chicago. (*Note: Pub To Pitch bus tickets for Saturday night's match are sold out.)
Bid on Chicago Fire Foundation Matchday Auction -- Saves for SEALs
On Wednesday, the Men In Red seized a 1-0 first-half lead against D.C. United when David Accam scored his third goal of the season in the 28th minute. But the hosts surged back after the intermission, receiving a brace from Jairo Arrieta en route to a 3-1 victory, establishing a club record with their 20th consecutive home match without a loss.
CHICAGO FIRE vs. ORLANDO CITY SC
• Both sides enter the weekend level at 14 points in the standings, with Orlando City having played one additional match. Adrian Heath's side is unbeaten in its last three outings, defeating LA Galaxy in convincing fashion, 4-0, before drawing against San Jose Earthquakes and Columbus Crew SC.
• The latest FIFA international window has seen the removal of Shaun Maloney (Scotland) from the Chicago Fire side, while Orlando City SC will be without USMNT defender Brek Shea Saturday night. OCSC's Conor Donovan (United States), Estrela (Portugal) and Bryan Rochez (Honduras) are competing in the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand and will also be unavailable Saturday, and the same is true of Tyler Turner, currently with the United States U-23 national team at the Toulon Tournament. Canada’s Cyle Larin and El Salvador’s Darwin Cerén are expected to be available for the visitors before departing for national team duties following Saturday's match.
• Injuries have also taken their toll on Orlando City. Kevin Molino recently had successful ACL surgery, and Martin Paterson will miss Saturday’s game with a knee injury. Last Saturday vs. Columbus Crew SC, Pedro Ribeiro made his first appearance for the club since April 3, scoring his second goal of the season in a 2-2 draw.
Opponent Profile:
Record: 3-5-5, 14 points
Last five matches: 1-1-3, 4 points
Goals leader: Kaká (6)
Assists leader: Kaká (2)
Saves leader: Donovan Ricketts (36)
Numbers to Know:
14.6 – Times Orlando City is fouled per game, tops in MLS. Adrian Heath’s team tends to control possession, pass efficiently and force a lot of chasing and defending from opponents. That leads defenses to foul often, which can be dangerous with Kaká standing over free kicks.
3 – Scoring streak for Kaká. The 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year has a goal in each of Orlando City’s last three matches after failing to register a shot on goal in the previous four.
2 – Road wins for Orlando City in 2015. The team’s first two wins of the season came at Houston (1-0) and at Portland (2-0). With two road draws as well, Orlando City has collected more than half its points away from the Citrus Bowl.
Keep An Eye On:
The attention will justifiably be on Kaká, who has a lot of responsibility on this shorthanded side. Without Shea in the fold using his pace up the left side, the Orlando City attack will likely be quite narrow and run through Kaká even more. But it will be very interesting to watch Amobi Okugo as well. Should the Orlando City fullbacks be out of position after pushing forward, it’s on Amobi Okugo to track back and help his centerbacks. With Harry Shipp on the ball, the Fire are very good at finding open space in dangerous areas, which is why they lead MLS with 9.3 shots per game inside the 18-yard box. Okugo needs to be careful not to push too far forward and leave his team vulnerable to counterattacks.
Fire Host Louisville City FC to Begin U.S. Open Cup Play:
The Chicago Fire, winners of four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies, begin their quest for a fifth crown against USL side Louisville City FC on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. CT at Toyota Park. Louisville City FC advanced in the tournament with a 2-0 extra time win over NASL side Indy Eleven on May 27. Tickets to the match on June 16 are now available via Ticketmaster, at the Toyota Park Box Office and by calling 888-MLS-FIRE. Group tickets are available at a discounted price by calling 888-MLS-FIRE.
