Chicago Fire FC kicks off a three-game homestand Saturday night on the lakefront, looking for a third win in a row against Nashville SC. Kickoff at Soldier Field is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast across the globe on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The match will be transmitted locally in English on WLS 890 AM and in Spanish on Que Buena Fire via the Uforia App.
Coming off two consecutive road victories, the Fire will hope to exact revenge for their loss to Nashville at GEODIS Park on April 26. To that end, Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has named the following Starting XI:
- Chicago will see four changes to the Starting XI that closed out a five-game road trip with a 7-1 victory over D.C. United last Saturday.
- Homegrown midfielder Mauricio Pineda returns from suspension to make his 12th start of 2025. Pineda last played 90 minutes in the Fire’s 3-1 victory at Orlando City SC in his first match since becoming the 15th player to break the 10,000-minute mark in Club history.
- Fellow Homegrown midfielder Sergio Oregel Jr. is back from international duty lining up next to Pineda in the center of the pitch. Oregel Jr. will start his 15th match in as many appearances this year, appearing next to Pineda from the start for the 11th time in 2025.
- Leading the attack will be the duo of Hugo Cuypers and Brian Gutiérrez, who both make their first starts together in the front. Gutiérrez returns to the starting lineup after checking into last Saturday’s match against D.C. United in the second half, tallying the last goal of a 7-1 final scoreline. Cuypers returns to the starting lineup after missing the last match due to injury.
- Goalkeeper Jeff Gal will make his second consecutive start and third of the season in place of Chris Brady, who is with the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Gal is also looking for his third win in as many starts, hoping for the first clean sheet of his own since helping the Fire earn one against Orlando on May 3.
- Defender Omar González will make his second start in a row for Chicago, lining up next to captain Jack Elliott in the backline. The center back duo will be joined by fullbacks Jonathan Dean and Andrew Gutman to complete the defense.
- Maren Haile-Selassie will start his second league match of 2025 after opening the scoring in the District last Saturday. The midfielder will line up on the right side of the midfield, opposite Ivorian international Jonathan Bamba, who followed Haile-Selassie in the scoresheet in D.C. in his 16th start of the regular season.
- Aside from Brady, defenders Carlos Terán (Lower Body), Sam Rogers (Lower Body) and Christopher Cupps (Lower Body); midfielders Rominigue Kouamé (Lower Body), Chris Mueller (Not Due to Injury), David Poreba (Lower Body); and winger Philip Zinckernagel (Not Due to Injury) are also unavailable for selection today.
- Available off the bench for Berhalter are goalkeeper Bryan Dowd; defender Leonardo Barroso; midfielders Kellyn Acosta, Omari Glasgow, Dje D’Avilla, Sam Williams and Vitaliy Hlyut; and forwards Tom Barlow and Jason Shokalook.
