The Fire are officially one of the hottest teams in MLS, and will take their three-game winning streak back home to Solider Field where they will host Atlanta United on Saturday afternoon.
Chicago are only two points off of a playoff spot with 11 games to play.
Atlanta are just two points behind the Fire, but have been struggling as of late with just one win in their last seven matches.
The Five stripes have also only won one game away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year and have yet to win back-to-back games despite a very talented roster.
Here is what to look for in the Gerber Collision and Glass Scouting Report ahead of Saturday’s game…
LAST TIME OUT
These two sides met back on May 7, and it wasn’t pretty for the Fire. Atlanta ended up winning 4-1, and Ronaldo Cisneros scored a hat trick. Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson recently said it was one of the only times that his side were never really in the game. He went on to say that his boys owe it to the fans to return the favor to United.
This was a different looking Fire team at the time though. Defender and captain Rafael Czichos was suspended following his red card against Red Bulls, while forward Chris Mueller had only just joined the club and made his debut as a halftime substitute.
The Fire were erratic defensively and out of sorts in the attacking third.
This is a far cry from what we’ve seen amidst this three-game winning streak that has featured two clean sheets and six goals.
United players Luis Araújo, Thiago Almada and Marcelino Moreno had very good games, while Cisneros was the beneficiary of some defensive mistakes from the Fire that we really haven’t seen outside of that May 7 fixture.
INCONSISTENCY
Atlanta are still hanging around the playoff picture, but injuries paired with inefficiency have them teetering.
Gonzalo Pineda’s side haven’t won two games in a row this season, and have been feeling the absences of goalkeeper Brad Guzan and defender Miles Robinson, who are both out for the season.
Additionally, Brooks Lennon has been missing since June 19 and Emerson Hyndman since July 1.
They also lost forward Josef Martinez for several weeks following a knee scope to clean out some debris following his ACL surgery in 2020. The former MVP and Golden Boot winner is back in the mix and still shows flashes of which we all know the Venezuelan is capable. Cisneros has filled in for Martinez, but before his brace against Real Salt Lake two weeks ago, hadn’t scored in 67 days since his hat trick against Chicago.
Pineda has an extremely talented group with the likes of Almada, Moreno, Matheus Rossetto, Araújo, Martinez and co. but they simply haven’t been able to put it together for large stretches.
Pineda has been tinkering with the formation as he has gone with a three-back system in the last couple of games against RSL and RBNY. They seemed to be a bit more cohesive than their typical four-back defense. This is especially true with the signing of Juan Jose Purrata, the loanee from Tigres. Purrata just recently signed on July 12.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Chicago have found some form for the first time this season, and are riding a wave of momentum after last weekend’s 3-1 win in Vancouver. A win on Saturday night could potentially see them in playoff position for the first time in months, depending on what Charlotte and Cincinnati do.
Atlanta have the talent to beat anyone on any given night. Thiago Almada is one of the better playmakers in the Eastern Conference, while Moreno is finally settling in and Rossetto can dictate the tempo. Fire midfielder Federico Navarro has been playing brilliantly, and will need to have another fine performance from a defensive standpoint to thwart the likes of Almada and Moreno going forward.
The Fire are starting to realize they also have the talent to beat anyone, and seemingly have that intangible belief that can spur a football club to multiple wins in a row. Their destiny is becoming more and more in their own control and just need to continue what they’ve been doing for the past two weeks. Stout defensive rotation and shape paired with a lethal attitude in front of goals. The big-time players have stepped up as of late (Czichos, Mueller, Xherdan Shaqiri, etc.) and they’ll have to stay steady if the Fire want to keep it rolling.
It's the doubleheader everyone has been waiting for as the Red Stars will take on Alex Morgan and the San Diego Wave immediately following the Fire game.
I’ll be back on the call with Tony Meola on WGN and CF97 Live. See you all at 4 p.m. CT. Get there nice and early with Lollapalooza down the street!
