Following a weekend off due to the FIFA international break, Chicago Fire FC are back on the road Saturday night as they prepare to take on Sporting Kansas City.
Head coach Raphael Wicky's side came away with a 1-0 road win over the New York Red Bulls in their last match before the break, and will look to make it back-to-back victories away from home this evening. Sporting Kansas City enter the match winless in their last four matches, but still reside in third place in the Western Conference.
Tonight's kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT, with coverage available on WGN-TV, CFFC Live, Latino Mix 93.5 FM, and MLS LIVE's out-of-market package on ESPN+. All the details on tonight's Fire starting XI are available now in the lineup notes below:
- Two changes have been made to the starting XI that was victorious against the New York Red Bulls last time out. Forward Stanislav Ivanov makes his third start in the Fire's last four games, while midfielder Álvaro Medrán makes his first start since Aug. 4. They'll replace Gastón Giménez, who recently completed the latest round of 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying with Paraguay, and Homegrown product Brian Gutiérrez.
- New signing Federico Navarro has been included in his first Fire gameday roster, and will be available for selection off the bench tonight.
- Forward Robert Berić snapped his scoring drought in the Fire's win against the Red Bulls, providing what became the game-winning goal in the 32nd minute. He returns to the starting XI this evening, and will be joined in attack tonight by Ivanov and Fabian Herbers, who makes his seventh-straight start.
- Joining Medrán in midfield is Luka Stojanović, who scored four goals in August and remains the team's leader in the category with seven so far this season. He'll look to continue his scoring ways as the Fire play their first of six September matches tonight.
- After earning an MLS Team of the Week nod for his efforts against the Red Bulls, Carlos Terán returns to the opening XI for the sixth-straight match in central defense. He'll partner with Mauricio Pineda and Jonathan Bornstein, who will wear the captain's armband tonight.
- Out wide, Boris Sekulić and Miguel Navarro will lineup along the touchline opposite one another this evening.
- Bobby Shuttleworth takes his usual place in goal, and will look to secure his fifth clean sheet of the 2021 season.
- Available to Wicky as substitutions tonight are goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, defender Johan Kappelhof, defender Wyatt Omsberg, defender Jhon Espinoza, midfielder Javier Casas Jr., midfielder Federico Navarro, forward Elliot Collier, forward Ignacio Aliseda, and forward Chinonso Offor.
- Midfielder Brian Gutierrez (right ankle), defender Francisco Calvo (right thigh), and goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm (right knee) are out due to injury for tonight's match.
Get a look at the Sporting Kansas City starting lineup below as it becomes available:
