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#SKCvCHI Starting XI presented by AT&T | July 6, 2019

starting xi #SKCvCHI

Riding a 5-1 midweek victory over Atlanta United FC on Wednesday, Chicago Fire head coach has made one change to his lineup ahead of Saturday night's visit to Sporting Kansas City.


Get the details on tonight's Starting XI presented by AT&T and tune in to #SKCvCHI at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+:


  • Defender Grant Lillard gets his first regular season start of 2019 along the backline. Lillard came on as a substitute in the Fire's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against St. Louis FC in June 11, but will make his first regular season appearance since the Club's 2-1 victory at Orlando City SC on May 20, 2018. He replaces defender Jorge Corrales, who is listed as out with a thigh injury.
  • After a Heineken Man of the Match-worthy performance on Wednesday against Atlanta, midfielder NicolĂĄs GaitĂĄn will look to add to his eight assists earned this season, the third-highest total in MLS.
  • Leading scorer CJ Sapong leads the line tonight in Kansas City after scoring his seventh and eighth goals of the season midweek. Sapong was selected by Sporting Kansas City with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
  • 18-year-old defender Andre Reynolds II makes his first appearance in Paunović's 18 after signing as a Homegrown out of the Chicago Fire Academy in January.
  • Fire captain Dax McCarty gets his 20th start of the year and remains the only Fire player to start every match for the Club in 2019. McCarty is just one MLS regular season appearance shy of 350 for his career.
  • Defender Francisco Calvo delivered an early lead on Wednesday with his second goal of the season, and returns to the starting XI Saturday night.
  • Midfielder Djordje Mihailović remains unavailable for selection while representing the USA at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. Mihailović and the U.S. Men's National Team will face Mexico in the tournament final at Soldier Field on Sunday at at 8 p.m. CT
  • Defenders Johan Kappelhof will miss tonights match with a thigh injury.


View the full Starting XI and bench for both sides in the graphics below as they're available: