The Fire’s final midweek game and final roadgame of the season is Wednesday in Charlotte. The Fire, who were eliminated from postseason contention with their 2-1 loss to Toronto last Saturday, are currently in last place in the East and will hope to use a win to get themselves out of the league’s basement.

Charlotte, meanwhile, are almost certainly in the postseason but with just one win in all competitions since the middle of July are looking for points to avoid sinking into a Wild Card spot, likely with an eye to climbing higher in the standings. to avoid a first-round matchup with powerhouses like Inter Miami or Columbus.

Series History

All time: 1W-0D-4LLast Match: May 15, 2024: Fire 0-1 Charlotte at Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.Last Away Match: May 17, 2023: Charlotte 2-1 Fire at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

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Charlotte FC

Like seemingly half the teams in the East, wins have been rare for Charlotte in the second half of the season – their victory over the New England Revolution on September 21st was their first in all competitions since July 13. In their most recent match, however, the team played Inter Miami to a 1-1 draw. The game, to be clear, was Miami’s to lose – they peppered Charlotte’s net with 21 shots (eight on target), with some misses that many Miami players will want back, but the point is still useful for Charlotte’s push for positioning in the standings.

Fire

The Fire earned a point in a 1-1 draw at SeatGeek Stadium against Toronto, off of Jonathan Dean’s first-ever MLS goal after conceding a goal off a penalty kick following a lengthy review. The goal snapped a two game streak in which the Fire failed to find the back of the net, but the single point wasn’t enough to stave off elimination.

The Storyline

The Fire have had a late-season date with Charlotte FC every year since the team from North Carolina entered the league in 2022. Last year, the Fire hosted the team on October 7th, just three days after their thrilling victory over Inter Miami.

At the time, the Fire knew that a win would almost certainly see the team into the playoffs. Instead, it was Charlotte who walked away with a 2-0 victory in Soldier Field, part of a late season surge that saw the team take 10 points from their final four matches to secure the team’s first-ever postseason appearance in their sophomore season.

This year, the Fire are already eliminated – although there are still stakes, individually and collectively, for the team – but would love to return the favor to Charlotte a year later and play spoiler, earning three points at the expense of the hosts and making it all the more likely that Charlotte will a team like FC Cincinnati or the Columbus Crew in the first round, both of whom would be heavily favored over as Charlotte search for their first playoff win in franchise history.

Charlotte Players to Watch

Tim Ream: Center-back looked like a position strength.for Charlotte but the team couldn’t help but sign the American international when his nearly decade long spell with Fulham came to a close this summer. The former Billiken – who spent time with Chicago Fire Premier in the former USL Premier Development League before playing for the New York Red Bulls – has helped Charlotte’s back line since arriving

Patrick Agyemang: The 23-year-old former Super Draft pick is Charlotte’s leading scorer this year with eight goals in just over 1700 minutes, proving that the American college pathway can still be a source of quality attacking talent.

Fire Keys to Victory

• For the badge, for honor: Although the team may be eliminated from postseason contention, they can still fight to finish somewhere above the last place in the conference where they currently sit. Including the draw against Toronto, finishing with results in the team’s final three matches of the season would let every player go into the offseason – which Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas is already calling the biggest in team history – with heads held high.
• Show ‘em what you got: With the Fire confirmed to be searching for a new sporting director and with rumors abound that the team is considering naming a new head coach as well, this offseason will likely be one of profound change for the Fire, and there could be significant roster turnover. The squad has skill, up and down the roster – the time for players to make their case for the next stage for the club is now.

Panel Predictions

Alex Calabrese

Prediction: Charlotte 3-0 Fire

Jiggly Carollo

Barlow scores at least one.

Prediction: Charlotte 1-2 Fire

Tim Hotze

The Fire’s record when I predict this scoreline is actually really good.

Prediction: Charlotte 2-1 Fire

Matt Shabelman

Prediction: Charlotte 0-2 Fire

Match Information and How to Watch

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, 6:30 PM CTLocation: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NCTV: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass