Lineup Notes | Chicago Fire FC at Austin FC

Chicago continues its quest for a fifth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title as the Club faces Austin FC for the first time in history at Q2 Stadium.

Against Austin, Chicago plays its first game of a four-game road stretch and is coming off a come-from-behind 3-3 tie with Atlanta United, and advanced to the Round of 16 of the Open Cup after a 2-1 win against St. Louis CITY SC on May 9 at SeatGeek Stadium in the Round of 32, in what was also the first encounter ever between the two clubs.

Austin advanced to the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory against USL Championship side, New Mexico United, with goals from Rodney Redes and Maximiliano Urruti.

Kickoff today is slated for 8 p.m. CT live on the B/R app and B/R Football YouTube channel. 

Learn more about tonight’s starters in the lineup notes below:

• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup rosters are limited to 18 players, unlike 20-player Major League Soccer rosters.

• Only one change was made to the lineup that faced St. Louis CITY SC in the Round of 32 of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 9 at SeatGeek Stadium.

• Captain Rafael Czichos returns to the lineup in place of centerback Wyatt Omsberg. Czichos is joined in the center of the defense by Maurico Pineda, and is flanked by Miguel Navarro to his left, and Arnaud Souquet on the right.

• The Argentine defensive midfield duo of Gastón Giménez and Federico Navarro once again pair up to support attacking midfielders Brian Gutiérrez (left), Xherdan Shaqiri (middle) and Maren Haile-Selassie (right). In the Round of 32, it was Haile-Selassie who scored the opening goal of the match, finishing on a pass through from Pineda in the third minute of play.

• Shaqiri, Gutiérrez and Haile-Selassie are lining up together for the third-straight match.

• Forward Kei Kamara returns to lead the attack. The Sierra Leonean has found the back of the net a team-high four times this season for the Fire.

• Goalkeeper Spencer Richey once again backstops the group, getting the nod for the third time in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

• Available to Klopas as substitutions today are goalkeeper Jeff Gal, defenders Kendall Burks, and Alonso Aceves, midfielders Jairo Torres and Fabian Herbers and forwards Georgios Koutsias and Kacper Przybyłko.

• Defenders Jonathan Dean (left upper leg) and Carlos Terán (right knee), and midfielders Chris Mueller (right upper leg) and Sergio Oregel Jr. (right lower leg) are unavailable for selection tonight.

Take a look at how Austin FC will start below as their lineup becomes available: