After a Tuesday night win for the ages against FC Cincinnati, the Chicago Fire are right back at it this weekend with a visit to New York City FC.
The Fire (2-4-1, seven points) will look to secure their first road win against head coach Ronny Deila's side (2-5-0, six points) and continue to advance up the Eastern Conference table come kickoff.
Saturday night's contest from Red Bull Arena comes your way on WGN-TV, ESPN+ and TUDN 1200 AM at 6:30 p.m. CT. With head coach Raphael Wicky's starting lineup revealed, here's more on how the Fire will take shape this evening:
- Tonight's starting XI features one change from Tuesday night's 3-0 win against FC Cincinnati at Soldier Field. Goalkeeper Connor Sparrow will earn his Fire debut in place of Bobby Shuttleworth, who is unable to play tonight due to a groin injury.
- Sparrow will help direct the Fire defensive unit of Boris SekuliÄ, Miguel Navarro, Mauricio Pineda, and Francisco Calvo, who start alongside one another for the third straight match following Tuesday's clean sheet victory.
- After both players scored their first Fire goals against Cincinnati, Ignacio Aliseda and Ălvaro MedrĂĄn get starting nods yet again, joined in midfield by Tuesday's Heineken Man of the Match GastĂłn GimĂ©nez.
- Also on the scoresheet Tuesday was Fabian Herbers, who returns to patrol the Fire's wide channels on Saturday night opposite PrzemysĆaw Frankowski.
- They'll look to support Forward Robert BeriÄ in the attack, who will hope to score his third goal of the season in his eighth Fire start.
- Available to Wicky as substitutions tonight are midfielders Micheal Azira, Brandt Bronico, Elliot Collier, Djordje MihailoviÄand Brian GutiĂ©rrez, defenders Jonathan Bornstein, Wyatt Omsberg and Andre Reynolds II, and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina.
- Goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm (knee), defenders Johan Kappelhof(hip flexor) and Jeremiah Gutjahr (knee), and midfielder Luka StojanoviÄ (knee) are out for tonight's match.
- CJ Sapong is unavailable due to an excused absence from team activities to attend to a personal matter.
Get a look at both team's starting lineups as they're available in the graphics below:
