Chicago Fire FC makes its return to the Lakefront tonight for the Club's 2022 Home Opener against visitors Orlando City SC.
After last Saturday's draw in Miami, Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson will be looking for a successful Chicago debut alongside the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Rafael Czichos, and Kacper Przybyłko in what's shaping up to be a beautiful evening downtown. A new-look Orlando City side under head coach Óscar Pareja enters tonight's match having taken all three points from their opening day meeting with CF Montréal last weekend.
Coverage of tonight's match begins with a "No Little Plans" special airing on WGN and CF97 Live at 4:30 p.m. CT, with additional coverage on MLS LIVE's out-of-market package on ESPN+ at kickoff at 5.
Here are the details on how the Fire will line up at home tonight for the first time this season:
- No changes have been made to last Saturday's starting XI that drew 0-0 at Inter Miami.
- The aforementioned trio of 2022 newcomers will meet the Fire fanbase in person at last this evening, as Shaqiri, Czichos, and Przybyłko all start and form the spine of tonight's opening lineup.
- Shaqiri earned Heineken Man of the Match honors in Miami last weekend for his performance in midfield. He and Przybyłko will be joined again by Stanislav Ivanov and Fabian Herbers in tonight's attacking unit.
- Gastón Giménez and Mauricio Pineda will support the attacking quartet in midfield this evening, making their 45th and 53rd appearances for the Club, respectively.
- Czichos was cleared from a thigh injury that had him listed as questionable entering the match and will captain the side tonight. He'll partner with Wyatt Omsberg in central defense.
- Boris Sekulić and Miguel Navarro will patrol the wide channels defensively against Orlando, lining up opposite one another for the 41st time since their 2020 debut seasons in Chicago.
- 17-year-old goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina will back stop the defense after earning his first clean sheet of the 2022 season last weekend. He was named to the MLS Team of the Week bench for his efforts in keeping Miami off the scoresheet.
- Available to Hendrickson as substitutions tonight are goalkeeper Spencer Richey, defender Kendall Burks, defender Jonathan Bornstein, defender Jhon Espinoza, midfielder Javier Casas Jr., midfielder Federico Navarro, midfielder Brian Gutiérrez, forward Jhon Durán, and forward Chinonso Offor.
- Defender Carlos Terán (right thigh) is out due to injury for tonight's match.
Get a look at Orlando's starting lineup below as it becomes available:
