CHICAGO (May 6, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC (2-3-5, 11 points) fell 3-0 to Nashville SC (5-3-3, 18 points) at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday night.
In a hard-fought match between the two sides, the Fire fell behind after conceding a pair of penalty kicks in the third minute of first half stoppage time and in the 70th minute. Nashville midfielder Hany Mukhtar converted both spot kicks to put the home side up 2-0, before adding a third goal in the second minute of second half stoppage time.
After a strong start to the match, the Fire were forced to make a substitution in the first half due to injury, with winger Maren Haile-Selassie replacing captain Rafael Czichos in the 22nd minute. The Fire’s second-half substitutions included forward Kei Kamara, who replaced Kacper Pryzybyłko in the 63rd minute to make the 400th regular season appearance of his MLS career.
Goalkeeper Chris Brady made his first save of the match in the 35th minute following a Nashville corner kick. The ball landed at the feet of Daniel Lovitz, who sent a shot in from close range into traffic. Brady was ready, getting down to make the save. Chicago’s 19-year-old Homegrown goalkeeper ended the match with a career-high seven saves.
NEXT MATCH: The Fire return to Chicago for two matches against St. Louis CITY SC in five days. Chicago resumes its quest for the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against St. Louis at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, May 9, at SeatGeek Stadium. Tickets for the Open Cup match are available for purchase here.
Four days later, Chicago will host St. Louis in MLS play on Saturday, May 13 at Soldier Field. Beginning at 12 p.m. CT, the match will serve as the Club’s annual Chicago Sports Day, featuring special appearances from notable alumni from the other major Chicago sports teams, exclusive giveaway items and much more. Tickets for the May 13 match are available for purchase here. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV+, streamed in English on wlsam.com, and transmitted locally in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.
Social: Twitter - @chicagofire, @vamosfire (Hashtags: #CF97 #VamosFire) | Instagram - @chicagofire | Facebook
Notes:
- Eight changes were made to the lineup that took on New York Red Bulls in MLS regular season play last Saturday.
- Midfielder Federico Navarro started for the second-straight match, having started against the Red Bulls last Saturday. Prior to the match against New York, the Argentine previously missed six-straight matches due to a left upper leg injury suffered in the team’s match on March 4.
- Fabian Herbers returned to the starting XI in what was his 100th match as a member of the Chicago Fire. Herbers joined the Club in 2018 and will line up in the middle of the pitch next to Federico Navarro.
- Jonathan Dean and Alonso Aceves started together for the first time in MLS play, securing the flanks on either side. It was the Mexican defender’s first MLS start of his career.
- Captain Rafael Czichos led a backline with Wyatt Omsberg and Kendall Burks. Czichos is the only player to have started every match this season.
- Forward Georgios Koutsias earned his first start of the MLS regular season. The young Greek striker joined the Fire in April and made his MLS debut against Minnesota United on April 8.
- In the attack, forwards Kacper Pryzybyłko and Koutsias were joined by Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri, who returned to the XI after also starting against Atlanta United on April 23.
Box Score:Nashville SC 3:0 Chicago Fire FC
Goals:
NSH - Mukhtar (4) (penalty) (WATCH) 45+3’
NSH - Mukhtar (5) (penalty (WATCH) 70’
NSH - Mukhtar (6) (WATCH) 90+2’
Discipline:
NSH - Lovitz (Yellow Card) 29’
CHI - Koutsias (Yellow Card) 36’
CHI - Omsberg (Yellow Card) 52’
NSH - Bunbury (Yellow Card) 56’CHI - Burks (Yellow Card) 68’
NSH - Moore (Yellow Card) 77’
CHI - Aceves (Yellow Card) 88’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Burks, D Czichos (capt.) (Haile-Selassie, 22’), D Omsberg, M Dean, M Herbers (M Giménez, 46’), M F. Navarro, M Aceves, M Shaqiri, F Koutsias (M Gutiérrez, 46’), F Przybyłko (Kamara, 63’)
Subs not used: GK Richey, D Souquet, D M. Navarro, D Pineda
Nashville SC: GK Willis, D Lovitz, D MacNaughton (Washington, 63’), D Maher, D Moore, M McCarty (Gregus, 74’), M Mukhtar (capt.), M Bunbury (Zubak, 63’), M Shaffelburg (Picault, 79’) M Muyl, M Godoy (Davis, 75’)
Subs not used: GK Panicco, D Bauer, M Haakenson, M Anunga
Stats Summary:
NSH / CHI
Shots: 30 / 5
Shots on Goal: 11 / 3
Saves: 3 / 7
Passing Accuracy: 82% / 78.9%
Corners: 10 / 2
Fouls: 10 / 15
Offsides: 3 / 0
Possession: 50.6% / 49.4%
Attendance: 28,611
Referee: Mark Allatin
Assistant Referees: Jason White, Meghan Mullen
Fourth Official: Ismir Pekmic
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero, Tyler Wyrostek
