MATCH INFO |
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<strong>Matchup</strong> |
Chicago Fire (4-3-3, 15 pts.) vs. Colorado Rapids (2-6-1, 7 pts.) |
<strong>Date</strong> |
Wednesday, May 17 • 7:30 p.m. CT |
<strong>Location</strong> |
Bridgeview, Ill. • Toyota Park |
<strong>TV</strong> |
CSN Chicago Plus (Pregame Show: 7 p.m.) |
<strong>Spanish Radio</strong> |
<a href="http://stream.uvneng.com/wrtoam-cf"><strong>Univision América 1200 (WRTO)</strong></a> |
<b>MLS Match Preview</b> |
<a href="https://www.chicago-fire.com/post/2017/05/16/chicago-fire-vs-colorado-rapids-2017-mls-match-preview"><b>Projected lineups, injuries, and more</b></a> |
<strong>Fan Advisories</strong> |
<a href="https://www.chicago-fire.com/post/2017/05/16/match-guide-chivcol-wednesday-may-17"><strong>Click Here</strong></a> |
The Chicago Fire are back at home for their first mid-week contest of the 2017 season as they host the Colorado Rapids at Toyota Park on Wednesday night (7:30 pm, CSN Chicago Plus | TICKETS). Head coach Veljko Paunovic's men will be flying particularly high after a weekend that saw them throttle the reigning MLS Champion Seattle Sounders to the tune of 4-1 on Saturday night. They'll look to ride that momentum against a Colorado side coming off of a big win of their own, having bested San Jose 3-0 last Saturday. Ahead of Wednesday night's Western Conference tilt, here are a few key facts, faces and figures to keep in mind:
Key number: 8
The Rapids have found the back of the net a league-low eight times through their nine matches played in 2017, a figure that includes their three goal outbreak over the weekend against San Jose. Their 21 shots on target are additionally the league's lowest output, a full 11 SOT behind the second-lowest total, which is Vancouver's 32. Wednesday night's matchup looks like a stiff one on paper for the visitors as the Fire have posted shutouts in three of their five home matches this season.
Matchup to watch: David Accam vs. Marlon Hairston
It's tough to predict how both of these teams will lineup on short rest come Wednesday night, but should they trot out similar lineups form the weekend, the above matchup should provide some intrigue. Colorado head coach Pablo Mastroeni deployed midfielder Marlon Hairston at right back for the first time since early 2015 last Saturday, and was rewarded with an MLS Team of the Week performance out of the 23-year-old. Should he lineup in the same spot on Wednesday, he'll have to contain fellow TotW member David Accam, who has put a goal and an assist on the scoresheet in back-to-back matches.
One Big Question: Was Saturday a turning point for Colorado?
It has not been an ideal start to 2017 for the Rapids, who were Supporters' Shield contenders all the way up until the end of last season. Mastroeni did some lineup tinkering ahead of last Saturday's match against San Jose, and ended up snapping a five-match losing streak in the process. Last season's leading scorer, Designated Player Shkelzen Gashi, bagged his first two goals of the season in a match that looked like a page-turner for the Rapids. Was the performance a sign of brighter times ahead, or merely a flash in the pan? Wednesday's matchup at Toyota Park will continue to answer questions like this for both teams.
Quote of the Week:
That's Fire midfielder-turned-defender Drew Conner on Tuesday's episode of Fire Weekly, and he's absolutely right. The Fire made a big splash in front of a sold out crowd on national television against the MLS Champs on Saturday night, but turning in that sort of performance on a consistent basis remains the team's ultimate goal going forward.
Fire Field Vision powered by NovaCare:
From the media guide:
- The Fire hold a 18-14-9 all-time regular season record against the Rapids, including a 15-4-2 record in matches played at home.
- Defender Michael Harrington appeared in 14 MLS matches for the Rapids in 2015 before joining the Fire as a Free Agent prior to the start of the 2016 season.
- The Fire acquired forward Luis Solignac via trade with the Colorado Rapids on Aug. 3, 2016. Solignac score three goals and tallied four assists in 33 matches for the Rapids during the 2015 and 2016 seasons
