Match Storylines: Fire wrap road trip at New York Red Bulls Wednesday

After a week on the road, Veljko Paunovic and the Chicago Fire cap their travels with a midweek matchup against the New York Red Bulls Wednesday at Red Bull Arena. The first of only two meetings between the clubs in 2016 kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT, with live pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m. CT on CSN Chicago Plus. 

Both clubs are currently looking up at the red line in a crowded Eastern Conference and are coming off forgettable performances on the weekend. With that in mind, here's a look at a few of the storylines at play when these sides come together Wednesday night:

First 15

Last weekend saw the New York Red Bulls deliver a lackluster performance against rival D.C. United -- with midfielder Dax McCarty deeming the effort "embarrassing" in his postmatch comments -- while the Fire hoped for better against New England on Saturday, a match in which the Men In Red went without a shot on goal. Both sides will be eager to put their respective performances behind them and rediscover an attacking mindset, making the first 15 minutes all the more important in terms of setting the tone and tempo for the rest of the way. Of note: all three 2015 meetings in the Fire-Red Bulls series, and six of the last seven overall, have seen a goal scored within the first 15 minutes. 

READ: Pauno full of belief in his side

Club Connections

Any meeting between the Fire and the current iteration of the Red Bulls will spark discussion of the New York technical staff's long histories with the Men In Red. Head coach Jesse Marsch appeared in 260 competitive matches for Chicago while his fellow Fire original turned assistant coach Chris Armas appeared in 273, good for sixth and fourth, respectively, in the club ledgers. Also on the bench for the Red Bulls is Denis Hamlett, who served as Fire manager in the 2008 and 2009 campaigns after taking over on an interim basis late in the 2007 season. All three arrived in New York prior to last year's Supporters' Shield-winning campaign. Marsch is 2-2-1 in his head coaching career against the Men In Red. 

Starts with Sacha

Despite the Red Bulls' sluggish start to the season, midfielder Sacha Kljestan has picked up where he left off in 2015, entering Wednesday with a league-leading six assists after finishing fourth in the category (14) a year ago. Kljestan managed to do some of his best work against the Men In Red, recording three goals -- all from the penalty spot -- and three assists in three matches. Typically flanked on either side by the dangerous Mike Grella (3 goals in 2016) and Lloyd Sam (1 goal, 3 assists) and with Bradley Wright-Phillips still as lethal as ever up top, Kljestan can spray the ball any number of directions to creatively probe the Fire back line and defensive midfield. 

Another Go At It

Saturday's match at New England offered Fire fans a glimpse of the lineup they likely hope to see more of on Wednesday and beyond. Khaly Thiam and David Accam shared the field together for only 19 minutes at the outset of the second half, but it was a stretch in which Chicago out-possessed their opponent and looked livelier going forward than it had for most of the first 45 minutes. With a few extra days of preparation, a natural grass surface and the first-game jitters out of the way, Paunovic believes Thiam will be an important asset in the Fire midfield. 

"The major thing was how fast, how physical is this league, and how fast he has to play in order to perform better and be successful," Pauno noted of Thiam's early lessons learned. "The other one is also he knows he had a couple tackles where he was on the edge of being sanctioned, so he said he has to adapt to that, which is great."

Forward-Thinking

Whether or not Paunovic opts to maintain a 3-5-2 setup or revert to a four-back system also seen earlier this season, he'll want to see all three lines working more cohesively to move the ball into the attacking third. The Red Bulls have struggled in defense all season -- entering the match tied for the second-most goals allowed in MLS this year (20) -- and even the introduction of veteran centerback Aurelien Collin has yet to have the calming influence in the back that Jesse Marsch had hoped. The Fire found running lanes and open spaces against Vancouver last Wednesday through the likes of Kennedy Igboananike, Joey Calistri and Arturo Alvarez and will need to replicate that type of effort in order to return to Chicago with three points in hand. 

"It's obviously frustrating not to get the results that we want, but at the same time we know that we're close and we know we're pushing to scrap and fight in every game," said defender Brandon Vincent. "We're just trying to take that attitude into the next game so we can finish our chances and come out with a win."

Notes:

• The Men In Red hold a 26-15-10 regular season record against the Red Bulls, including an 11-11-3 record in matches played on the road.

• The Fire are 2-4-1 at Red Bull Arena.

• The Fire have outscored the Red Bulls 86 to 66 in regular season matches.