The Chicago Fire (12-6-5, 41 points) find themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, sitting third and equidistant from the East's top spot and its final playoff position, currently occupied by Toronto FC (47 points) and Atlanta United FC (35 points), respectively.
As the Men In Red prep for two opponents from north of the border, be sure to follow all of this week's action with the schedule below:
Tuesday, August 15
- 4 p.m.: With two-thirds of the MLS regular season in the books, GM Nelson RodrÃguez hosts his second media roundtable of the season to discuss the season to date and what lies ahead for the club. The conversation will be available to watch live on the Chicago Fire Facebook page.
- 6 p.m.: Shortly after that discussion, RodrÃguez will be a featured guest on the set of Fire Weekly presented by The PrivateBank, airing live from The PrivateBank Fire Pitch on CSN+ and Chicago-Fire.com. Tune in as the hosts break down a tough weekend loss at Columbus and preview this week's clashes with Montreal and Toronto FC.
Wednesday, August 16
Chicago Fire at Montreal Impact
- Regional TV: CSN Chicago
- Pregame Show: 6 p.m. CT
- Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. CT
- In Brief: The Fire are eager to reverse their recent road form, having lost three straight away from Toyota Park after going unbeaten in their previous five road matches. They'll be doing so in a stadium -- Montreal's Stade Saputo -- where they picked up a 3-0 win in their most recent trip (August 20, 2016). On the flip side, the Impact are the lone MLS team to leave Toyota Park with a result in 2017, having earned a 2-2 draw back on April 1 -- Bastian Schweinsteiger's first game as a member of the Fire. While Chicago enters with something to prove, the Impact reside below the red line but enter as a confident bunch after back-to-back wins over Orlando City SC and Philadelphia.
Saturday, August 19
Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC
- Regional TV: CSN Chicago
- Pregame Show: 6:30 p.m.
- Kickoff: 7 p.m.
- In Brief: After jockeying with the Fire for the top spot in the Supporters' Shield rankings for much of the summer, first-place Toronto FC has put some distance between itself and the rest of the East thanks to its current six-game unbeaten streak. With the Fire looking to extend their record-setting home winning streak to 10 games, a near-sellout crowd is expected at Toyota Park for what could be a pivotal match in the race for the Shield and the Eastern Conference table.
- Don't Forget!: The game also will feature a celebration of the Fire's 20th Season presented by Valspar, with the first 10,000 fans in attendance receiving the custom deck of commemorative playing cards featuring many of the great names from Fire history. Look for other nods to the club's milestone season throughout the match, and consider starting your matchday at Section 8 Chicago's "Malort 5K" at The PrivateBank Fire Pitch (10 a.m.) to benefit the supporter-run Fire Anniversary event on October 8, 2017.
