Chicago is in the Big Apple for a Decision Day showdown against New York City FC, with the two teams looking to clinch a spot in the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT for all Eastern Conference matches, and the Fire’s match will be broadcast live on Apple TV, streamed in English on wlsam.com and transmitted locally in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.
The Eastern Conference foes last faced each other when they split points in Chicago’s season opener on Saturday, March 4, at Soldier Field. The match ended in a 1-1 draw that saw Fire midfielder Fabian Herbers open his 2023 scoring account to tie the game in the 75th minute. The Fire are unbeaten in three of the team’s last four games, including a 1-0 road win against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, Sept. 30 and a 4-1 win at home against Inter Miami CF in front of a sold-out crowd of 62,124 on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at Soldier Field.
Chicago (10-13-10, 40 points) currently occupies the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, two places above NYCFC (8-11-14, 38 points), and both teams will be battling for one of the two remaining playoff berths in the East. Overall, there are five Eastern Conference teams competing for the remaining two playoff spots on this year’s Decision Day, including CF Montréal (8th place), New York Red Bulls (10th place) and Charlotte FC (12th place).
D.C. United, who is currently in ninth place in the standings, has played all 34 regular season matches and has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
- Head Coach Frank Klopas made three changes to the lineup that faced Charlotte FC on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Soldier Field.
- Goalkeeper Chris Brady makes his 29th start of the 2023 MLS regular season and his 31st start overall in 2023. With eight shutouts so far in the 2023 MLS regular season, the young goalkeeper is tied with current goalkeeping coach Zach Thornton (1998, 2003) and Matt Lampson (2017) for the sixth-most clean sheets in a single season in Club history.Â
- Captain Rafael Czichos helms the backline for a third-straight match. Czichos is joined in the middle by Carlos Terán, flanked by Jonathan Dean and Alonso Aceves.
- Federico Navarro returns to the starting lineup for the first time since sustaining an injury against D.C. United on Saturday, Sept. 2. He lines up next to Ousmane Doumbia, who is starting his seventh-straight game, and eighth match overall.
- Xherdan Shaqiri returns from National Team duty to marshal the midfield, joined by Fabian Herbers and Brian Gutiérrez for a second consecutive match. Gutiérrez currently leads the team with nine assists this season, and is the third Homegrown player in Club history to notch the most assists in a single season (Harry Shipp - 2014, Djorde Mihailović - 2020).
- Greek forward Georgios Koutsias recently returned from scoring the game-tying goal against Croatia on Friday, Oct. 13 in UEFA EURO U-21 qualifying and will make his 13th start of the MLS regular season.
- Available off the bench for Klopas are goalkeeper Spencer Richey, defenders Wyatt Omsberg, Miguel Navarro, Arnaud Souquet, defender/midfielder Mauricio Pineda, midfielders Maren Haile-Selassie and Jairo Torres and forwards Kei Kamara and Kacper Przybyłko.
- Midfielders Gastón Giménez (yellow card accumulation) and Chris Mueller (right upper leg) will not be available for tonight’s match.
