Chicago Fire FC returns home Wednesday night to take on D.C. United in the first of two matches at Soldier Field this week.
The Fire will be looking to continue their run of form at home tonight, where the team is unbeaten in three-straight matches. D.C. United enter the match coming out of a 2-1 road defeat to the Philadelphia Union over the weekend, and currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. These two sides previously met back on May 13 in a 1-0 D.C. win at Audi Field.
Tonight's contest kicks off at 7 p.m. CT at Soldier Field, with coverage available on WGN-TV, CFFC Live, and WOJO 105.1 FM. Get the details on how the Fire will lineup below:
- Head coach Raphael Wicky will not be in attendance tonight due to a health matter concerning a close family member. Assistant coach Frank Klopas will lead the team for a second-straight match.
- Two changes have been made to tonight's starting XI coming out of the Fire's road defeat at Nashville SC on Saturday. Defender Jonathan Bornstein replaces Johan Kappelhof, and will wear the captain's armband this evening. In addition, midfielder Gastón Giménez will start for the first time since May 29. Giménez previously took part in the 2021 Copa América tournament with Paraguay.
- Forward Ignacio Aliseda has picked up his scoring form as of late, and returns to help lead the attack tonight along the Lakefront. Aliseda has three goals and an assist across his last three matches. He'll be joined up top by forward Robert Berić.
- Midfielder Przemysław Frankowski assisted on Aliseda's goal against Nashville on Saturday, giving him assists in back-to-back matches. He returns to tonight's opening XI with three total assists in 2021. He and Giménez will partner with Álvaro Medrán in the center of the park, who leads the team five assists this season.
- Wyatt Omsberg and Mauricio Pineda slot in centrally along the backline for the second-straight match, alongside Bornstein.
- Fullbacks Boris Sekulić and and Miguel Navarro will take up the wide channels defensively this evening. Sekulić earns his 35th straight start for the Fire, while Navarro picks up his 10th.
- Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth takes up his usual place in net this evening, earning his 341st career MLS regular season appearance in the process.
- Available to Klopas as substitutions tonight are goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, defender Jhon Espinoza, midfielder Fabian Herbers, midfielder Stanislav Ivanov, midfielder Luka Stojanović, midfielder Brian Gutiérrez, midfielder Elliot Collier, and forward Chinonso Offor.
- Defender Francisco Calvo (Costa Rica) is unavailable for selection tonight due to international duty.
- Defender Carlos Terán (right shin), and goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm (right knee) are out due to injury for tonight's match.
Get a look at both team's starting lineups as they're available in the graphics below:
