The chase for the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup crown continues Wednesday with a quarterfinal matchup between the four-time champion Chicago Fire and first-year Major League Soccer side Orlando City SC. This is the second time in three years the two clubs have been pitted against one another in an Open Cup quarterfinal, with the Fire eliminating then-USL side Orlando City by a 5-1 score on June 26, 2013.
Kickoff at Toyota Park is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT with a live stream of the match provided on Chicago-Fire.com and USSoccer.com. Tickets are available on Chicago-Fire.com,at the Toyota Park Box Office or by calling 888-MLS-FIRE.
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For only the third time in U.S. Open Cup history, the roster of 2015 quarterfinalists was composed exclusively of MLS sides. The only two previous occasions were the 2000 and 2006 U.S. Open Cup tournaments, both of which ended with the Chicago Fire raising the trophy. Wednesday's winner will visit the Philadelphia Union, who defeated the New York Red Bulls in a penalty kick shootout Tuesday night, on August 11. For more information on this week's U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, visit USsoccer.com.
Chicago Fire vs. Orlando City SC
These two clubs meet Wednesday in the second of four scheduled fixtures this season, the first of which ended in a come-from-behind 3-2 win for Orlando City SC back on June 6. Goals by Kennedy Igboananike and David Accam gave the Fire a 2-1 lead in the 57th minute, but a blast by OCSC’s Cyle Larin and a Fire own goal in a span of four minutes gave the visitors all three points at Toyota Park. After Wednesday, the clubs will meet again Aug. 29 in Orlando and Sept. 19 in Bridgeview.
“It’s a game that I felt we should’ve got more out of,” Yallop said Monday of that June 6 affair. "[Wednesday] is an important game for the Fire. For us, the [Open Cup] a big, big tournament we want to win. We’re going all-out. It’s not a lineup that’s going to be to give guys 90 minutes. This is to win the match. I know the tradition we have here at this club, and we want to continue that and have a good result on Wednesday to get through to the next round. We’ll deal with the weekend game after that.”
Yallop will be capable of putting something close to a first-choice line-up despite the absences of Mike Magee and Jeff Larentowicz. Wingers David Accam and Patrick Nyarko will be available to start, Joevin Jones will be back from CONCACAF Gold Cup duty, and Shaun Maloney is likely to be available on the bench.
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The Lions advanced into the quarterfinals after defeating the Charleston Battery and Columbus Crew SC in previous rounds, extending City's USOC record to 10-4-0. The Fire, meanwhile, boast a 23-1-1 all-time record in U.S. Open Cup matches held in Illinois after wins over Louisville City FC and Charlotte Independence, and are 4-0 in such matches in Yallop's tenure. He wondered if that could be a sign of things to come.
“In the [first] two rounds, we found a way to win,” Yallop said. “Hopefully it’s our tournament. We’re desperate to do well. It’s a very good record, and hopefully that continues to 24-1-1. It will be tough. Orlando are a good side, as we’ve seen. They’re coming in to try and win the match, and they have some good players. Our guys will be fit and ready. Let’s hope we can get through and get a good result.”
The Fire were in a similar position before their last Open Cup match, a 3-1 win over Charlotte Independence on June 30. In the midst of a four-game MLS losing streak, they needed a spark to get them going. Three weeks later, they’ve managed four more points in the league, and Yallop said they need to get on a run.
“It’s not been according to plan with what’s gone on this season, injuries a part of it and not getting the job done a part of it,” he said. “We’ve just got to believe we’re going to win every game we’re going to play, and that’s all we can do. Including on Wednesday, and then come Saturday and the following Sunday, we’ve got three home games in a row, so we’ve got to look to get three wins if we can.”
