MATCH INFO |
|
|---|---|
<strong>Matchup</strong> |
Chicago Fire (3-7-5, 14 pts.) at Toronto FC (5-6-5, 20 pts.) |
<strong>Date</strong> |
Saturday, July 9 • 6:30 p.m. CT |
<strong>Location</strong> |
Toronto, Ont. • BMO Field |
<strong>TV</strong> |
CSN Chicago (<strong><a href="//www.chicago-fire.com/schedule/broadcast/channel-listings">Channel Guide</a></strong>) |
<strong>Radio</strong> |
97.5 FM Poder (Spanish) |
<strong>Fire Field Vision</strong> |
<a href="//www.chicago-fire.com/post/2016/07/07/fire-field-vision-powered-novacare-torvchi?autoplay=true"><strong>Watch Now</strong></a> |
The Chicago Fire are headed north to take on Toronto FC in an Eastern Conference showdown on Saturday night. Coverage begins on CSN Chicago at 6 p.m. CT with kickoff to follow at 6:30. Below are five storylines to keep an eye on as the Fire take another shot at securing their first road win of the season.
Last Time Out
The Fire are back on the road after two consecutive wins at home, the first a 2-1 U.S. Open Cup tilt against Columbus Crew SC and the second a 1-0 holiday weekend victory over the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS play.
Chicago’s most recent victory saw two players earn some notable milestones early in their MLS careers. Defender Rodrigo Ramos was named to the league’s Team of the Week for the first time for his efforts patrolling the right side of the defense and swashbuckling forward into the Fire attack against San Jose. The TOTW nod came as a culmination of sorts of Ramos’ recent efforts, as the 21-year-old Brazilian had notched assists in three straight matches in all competitions prior to the Earthquakes match.
Ramos’ combination play with midfielder John Goossens against San Jose and Goossens’ subsequent first MLS goal -- the 58th minute game-winner -- helped earn the Dutchman a spot on the MLS Team of the Week bench.
Toronto’s Form
The recently crowned Amway Canadian Champions haven’t had quite the run of form in MLS play that befits their latest silverware. Head Coach Greg Vanney’s men are 1-2-2 in their last five home matches in the league and sit just above the red line in the Eastern Conference, level on 20 points with Orlando City SC.
Toronto enters Saturday’s match coming off a 1-1 home draw with Seattle last weekend. Twenty-year-old Homegrown Jordan Hamilton -- filling in for the injured Jozy Altidore up top -- put the Canadian side ahead in the 60th minute, but his strike was immediately negated by Seattle’s Jordan Morris' stellar finish in the 61st.
Throughout their eight straight road matches to open 2016 and into the midway point of the season, Toronto has been able to count on an improved back line compared to 2015, with their 19 total goals allowed ranking as the fourth-lowest total in the league. On Saturday, however, the unit will be operating without the protection normally provided by the likes of Michael Bradley and Will Johnson, both out for at least six weeks with injuries, as well as injured goalkeeper Clint Irwin. 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick Alex Bono is likely to earn his second MLS start in Irwin's stead Saturday night.
Reinforcements
The Chicago Fire head into Saturday’s match as collectively healthy as they’ve been since the earliest part of the 2016 season.
With midfielders Matt Polster and Arturo Alvarez relegated to the bench with leg injuries for the majority of the last month, the Fire central midfield depth has been well-vetted. In total, six different players have started in the central midfield at least once since the June 15th U.S. Open Cup contest against Indy Eleven. Khaly Thiam’s four starts in that span lead the pack, while Michael Stephens has bolstered the Fire’s central channels in three consecutive matches. Razvan Cocis and Joao Meira have also factored, depending on Paunovic’s preferred formation choice. With Alvarez and Polster returning, it remains to be seen how the Fire’s suddenly crowded midfield corps shakes out moving forward.
Ahead of them, the Fire will welcome the arrival of forward Michael de Leeuw to the attack, who will be eligible for selection for this first time on Saturday night. The Dutchman has been training with the team since his arrival in Chicago in early June after signing with the team in May. He was ineligible to compete until July 4 in accordance with the opening of the summer transfer window, and will look to jump in and make an impact in attack right away.
Giovinco’s Lull
Containing Toronto’s reigning 2015 MLS MVP and Golden Boot winner Sebastian Giovinco will be an emphasis for Paunovic’s defense, to say the least.
Giovinco picked up right where he left off from last season with eight goals and five assists through his first 10 games, but has been suffering a dip in his scoring form since a two-goal output against Vancouver in a 4-3 loss on May 14. In the six MLS matches since that contest, Giovinco has registered just one assist and has yet to add to his goal haul for the season. However, it’s not for a lack of trying. In only one of those six matches has Giovinco registered less than four shots taken. That came in a 3-0 loss at New York Red Bulls on May 28, and also marked the first time all season that Giovinco was held with a single shot on goal. However, he consistently registers “big chances created” by MLS metrics, and leads the league with 12 on the season.
Despite a new look Fire defense, the Italian forward will likely welcome another opportunity against the Men In Red. Giovinco scored twice on the Fire in his inaugural MLS season, the first in a 3-2 loss at Toyota Park last April and the second on a wonder-chip in last September’s 3-2 victory at BMO Field.
Head-to-Head
The Fire own a 9-4-8 all-time lead in the series against Toronto FC, including an unbeaten 5-0-5 mark in matches played in Chicago.
Prior to the teams' most recent fixture last September, Chicago had assembled a 12-match unbeaten streak dating back to Sept. 8, 2010. The last time Chicago secured three points at BMO Field was in a 2-1 victory on Sept. 12, 2012.
