MATCH INFO |
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|---|---|
<strong>Matchup</strong> |
Chicago Fire (0-1-1, 1 pt.) vs. Columbus Crew SC (0-2-0, 0 pts.) |
<strong>Date</strong> |
Saturday, March 19 • 4 p.m. CT |
<strong>Location</strong> |
Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill. |
<strong>TV</strong> |
CSN Chicago Plus |
<strong>Radio</strong> |
97.5 FM Poder (Spanish) |
<strong>Promotions</strong> |
$2 Heineken Lights and select domestic beers |
<strong>Watch</strong> |
<strong><a href="//www.chicago-fire.com/post/2016/03/16/fire-field-vision-powered-novacare-chicago-fire-vs-columbus-crew-sc?autoplay=true">Fire Field Vision Powered by NovaCare</a></strong> |
Two longtime Eastern Conference rivals clash Saturday at Toyota Park, when the Chicago Fire host Columbus Crew SC with both sides eager to enter the win column in their third outing of the young MLS campaign. Live on-site pregame coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. CT on CSN Chicago Plus followed by kickoff at 4 p.m.
Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com or at the Toyota Park Box Office on matchday.
While the Men In Red are preparing for a stretch of four home matches in their next five, Crew SC arrives in Bridgeview for the first of three straight road contests. After advancing to the 2015 MLS Cup final, Columbus opened the year with a 2-1 defeat to Portland Timbers in a rematch of that championship fixture before falling by the same score to the Philadelphia Union in Columbus' home opener, leaving them still in search of their first point of 2016.
“It’s two losses in a row and that’s not good," said Columbus head coach Gregg Berhalter, whose side has been credited with an MLS-leading 38 shots through two matches. "In these two games there was some good football, we played over 180 minutes. But, by and large, we came up short in these two games. We’re going to look to improve and get better, to raise individual levels, and focus on our performance.”
After watching his team preserve a 1-1 draw at Orlando despite playing shorthanded for 60 minutes, Veljko Paunovic has a number of personnel decisions to make when assembling his Starting XI. Michael Harrington, whose experience and versatility as a wing-back made him Chicago's first-choice right back in weeks 1 and 2, is due to miss Saturday's match while serving a one-game suspension for the red card he received last Friday at the Citrus Bowl.
"We have Rodrigo [Ramos] who is capable of playing in that position," Paunovic said of the 20-year-old Brazilian who has appeared as a substitute in each of the first two matches. "I believe that Michael Stephens can play in that position, we have to try and see how he performs there in the [training] sessions this week."
Johan Kappelhof also has covered the right side of the back line in Paunovic's 3-5-2 arrangement, and the Fire boss is pleased with how the Dutch 25-year-old is adjusting to a new league and style of play.
"Kappelhof is improving very good, I think he understands much better now that MLS is a very demanding league and he is adapting to that," Paunovic said. "I'm very happy with his improvement and with how he played at the right back. We can play him also in that position knowing that he can do that. When we scouted him last year he played a lot of right back with Groningen (in the Dutch Eredivisie) so that's a value that he has and it's very important for the team."
Paunovic's back line could again be paired with goalkeeper and former Crew SC man Matt Lampson, this time looking to slow a Columbus side replete with weapons, beginning with 2015 22-goal scorer Kei Kamara. The target man got on the board in the waning minutes of Crew SC's loss to Philadelphia and will no doubt be a handful to contain in the box for the likes of Jonathan Campbell, Kappelhof and Joao Meira.
Watch: Valspar Matchday Primer
Likewise, an in-form David Accam will again be using his speed and technical ability to challenge a Columbus back line anchored by centerbacks Michael Parkhurst and Gaston Sauro as well as Accam's childhood friend and Crew SC outside back Harrison Afful. Accam scored twice against the Black & Gold in 2015, both away from Toyota Park, and is off to a torrid start in 2016 with two goals and one assist.
With Gilberto's status still in question pending his mending leg strain, Accam, John Goossens and Kennedy Igboananike will again be counted on to provide a threat going forward for Paunovic's side.
"I think we have more attacking players, players who can score a lot of goals," Accam said. "We have Gilberto, Kennedy, Arturo (Alvarez), John, Razvan (Cocis) all can score goals from midfield, so it's a positive sign for us. We can't only depend on strikers and this year we have midfielders who can score goals. We just need to start working as a team now."
CHICAGO FIRE vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC
• Saturday marks the 56th all-time meeting between these two Midwestern clubs, with Chicago holding a 24-16-15 all-time edge in the series, including a 14-6-8 advantage in Fire home matches. Last season, Columbus inched ahead in the all-time goals scored tally, 82-81.
• The teams met three times in 2016. They reached a 2-2 draw May 22 in Columbus, then Crew SC defeated the Fire twice in a span of five days – a 1-0 win July 15 at Toyota Park, then a 3-1 win July 19 at MAPFRE Stadium.
• Crew SC haven’t lost to the Fire in the last six meetings in the series. The last Fire victory was a 2-1 win in Columbus, June 22, 2013.
• Crew SC have come away with points in the last four home encounters with the Fire, winning three. The Crew SC victory last year at Toyota Park was their first in Bridgeview since the 2006 season. The Fire had gone 8-0-5 in the 13 meetings in between.
• In addition to Matt Lampson, the Chicago Fire also boast another former member of the Black & Gold in defender Eric Gehrig. Gehrig appeared in 48 total matches for Columbus during his four seasons with the club, but is unlikely to make his season debut for the Fire while completing his recovery from a 2015 foot injury.
