After a late cancellation to Wednesday's match against Minnesota United due to a suspected case of COVID-19, the Chicago Fire shift gears into Saturday afternoon's visit from Sporting Kansas City.
The Fire were 2-1 victors against D.C. United at home last Sunday, giving them their third straight win at Soldier Field. They'll look to keep that streak alive when they kickoff against SKC on Univision, TUDN, and @TUDNUSA on Twitter at 2:30 p.m. CT. These two sides met just 10 days ago in Kansas City, as the hosts claimed the full three points in a 1-0 win.
With kickoff an hour away, head coach Raphael Wicky's lineup has been revealed. Get a look at how he'll line his side up below:
- Two changes have been made to tonight's starting lineup from the opening XI that took on D.C. United on Sunday.
- Captain Francisco Calvo returns from a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation. He'll join Wyatt Omsberg -- who makes his second straight start -- in central defense tonight against Kansas City.
- Ignacio Aliseda returns to the starting lineup after entering as a substitution on Sunday. He'll line up out wide in the midfield opposite CJ Sapong, who scored his second goal of the season over the weekend against D.C. United.
- Mauricio Pinedareturns to the midfield this evening to spell GastĂłn GimĂ©nez. Pineda and midfield partner Ălvaro MedrĂĄn are the only two Fire players to start every match so far this season, with 18 appearances apiece including today.
- MedrĂĄn picked up both the assists in Sunday's win, the second of which came on a corner kick for Boris SekuliÄ. SekuliÄ's goal was his first for the Fire, and he makes his 15th straight start in defense this evening.
- Opposite SekuliÄ is Jonathan Bornstein, who makes the 149th MLS regular season appearance of his career.
- Robert BeriÄ leads the attack this evening from the forward position, looking to add to his team-high total of seven goals scored so far this season.
- Midfielder Fabian Herbers makes his 33rd appearance for the Fire tonight, lining up in the heart of the midfield.
- Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth makes his 197th career MLS regular season appearance as tonight's starter in net.
- Also available to Wicky as substitutions tonight are midfielders Micheal Azira, PrzemysĆaw Frankowski, Djordje MihailoviÄ, Javier Casas Jr., Brian GutiĂ©rrez and Elliot Collier, defenders Nicholas Slonina andAndre Reynolds IIand goalkeeperConnor Sparrow.
- Gastón Giménez (Paraguay) and Miguel Navarro (Venezuela) are in quarantine following their respective returns to Chicago from international duty, and are unavailable this evening.
- GoalkeeperKenneth Kronholm, defenders Johan Kappelhof and Jeremiah Gutjahr, and midfielders Luka StojanoviÄand Brandt Bronicoare not medically cleared for tonight's match.
Get a look at both team's starting lineups as they're available in the graphics below:
