The Chicago Fire resume play this weekend at Exploria Stadium as they take on Orlando City on Saturday for the second time in about a month.
Last time out, it finished honors even as the Fire and Lions played to a 0-0 draw at Soldier Field in the team’s 2022 home opener on March 5.
Chicago are still one of three unbeaten sides left in MLS after the first five weeks of play, and will look to continue their defensive superiority in central Florida against an Orlando team who have been trading results since their visit to the lakefront a few short weeks ago.
Here’s what to look for in the Gerber Collision and Glass Scouting Report…
SETTLING IN
These two sides saw each other just 35 days ago, but both coaches would argue their squads look mighty different.
The Fire have started to find their groove in the attacking third despite a 0-0 draw against FC Dallas last week in horrid weather conditions.
Orlando have played some difficult opponents, but are also still figuring out what life looks like after the departures of Nani, Daryl Dike and Chris Mueller.
Oscar Pareja has seen his group fall to the likes of FC Cincinnati and LAFC, but they also went on the road and got an impressive three points against Greg Vanney’s LA Galaxy.
Newcomers Facundo Torres, César Araújo and Ercan Kara all started in their 4-2 loss to LAFC last weekend. That contest featured four goals in the first half and an uncharacteristically porous defensive effort from Orlando City. Orlando’s best defender, Antonio Carlos, did get subbed out in the 18th minute with an injury, and it proved to be a problem the Lions couldn’t solve on the day.
It will be something they need to figure out soon, though, as the Brazilian is out for the next 3-4 months. Rodrigo Schlegel seems to be the easy replacement for Carlos, but this is a big blow to the Lions backline.
Attacking wise, Torres, Ercan, and Alexandre Pato are still learning what it means to play with one another in the 4-2-3-1 that we’ve come to expect from Oscar Pareja. Torres scored his first MLS goal against the Galaxy a few weeks ago, while Pato is proving to be exactly what we expected when he is healthy which is very, very dangerous.
The Fire did a good job of eliminating space in behind for Pato to expose and limiting his opportunities.
LAST TIME OUT
When these two teams last saw each other, it was a physical affair in the 2022 home opener.
Orlando did find the back of the net through a Junior Urso deflected shot, but it was chalked off after VAR saw a handball in the build-up to the goal.
Gabriel Slonina didn’t have to make a save as City failed to register a shot on goal, and this theme has continued for the Fire as they have done an excellent job of protecting their teenage ‘keeper. Chicago are second in the league in shots on target faced, with Slonina only having seen 11 shots this season so far. FC Dallas are first in MLS with 10.
Orlando were equally stingy on the defensive end, but the main culprit for that, Antonio Carlos, will of course be absent on Saturday at Exploria. We’ll see how the pairing of Robin Jansson and Schlegel will fair after conceding four goals last weekend.
The Fire generated limited chances against Orlando in that 0-0 draw, but controlled the midfield for large portions of the game and will look to do so again.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Despite a poor performance last weekend and a big injury to their backline, Orlando are still a very good team and will be looking to protect their patch at Exploria - one of the tougher places to play in the Eastern Conference.
The Fire will look to continue their debilitating defensive posture. They’ve only conceded one goal through the first five weeks, and are the only team in the league to not trail an opponent so far this season.
However, they’ll look to be a bit more daring in the attacking third after not putting a shot on target against FC Dallas last week in what was a very difficult day for the beautiful game in the freezing rain.
Games tend to really open up and have an end-to-end feel at Exploria given the way Orlando plays at home and throws their fullbacks forward. The Fire will get their opportunities just like they did last year at Exploria, although they failed to convert in a 1-0 loss.
Obviously, the status of Xherdan Shaqiri will be something everyone keeps an eye on, but even if the Swiss international isn’t a part of the fun on Saturday afternoon, the Fire have enough talent to get over the line and bring a result back to Chicago.
