Back In Red: Chicago Fire vs. FC Cincinnati Match 2 Preview

The last time that the Fire wore red at Soldier Field was in a friendly match against Manchester United on July 23, 2011. The Fire squad included names like Patrick Nyarko, Logan Pause, Dominic Oduro and Sean Johnson, and faced a Manchester United side that included names like Anderson, Nani, Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney.  In other words, it’s been a while.

All of that is set to change Saturday night, when the Fire host FC Cincinnati in their original home wearing red. Though a lot has changed since that match, there are threads that tie the team that will take to the pitch against the reigning Supporters Shield champions to the one that played in that friendly over a decade ago: Then, as now, Frank Klopas will be in the dugout for then Fire, and then, as now, Fire fans are hungry for results following a dry spell over the past few seasons (though at the time, the “dry spell” was of somewhat a different nature: It’d been five years since the team had made it to a knockout final, something they accomplished by making it to the U.S. Open Cup final, losing out to the Seattle Sounders).

Will a return to the team’s original home in their original colors mark a return to the success the team enjoyed in its initial years at Soldier Field?

Series History

All time: 3W-5D-4LLast Match: June 3, 2023: FC Cincinnati 1-0 Fire at TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Oh.Last Home Match: March 18, 2023: Fire 3-3 FC Cincinnati at Soldier Field

Recent Form

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati hosted Jamaican side Cavalier SC in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup tie on Wednesday and smashed them 4-0 and 6-0 on aggregate. FCC had goals off of Alvas Powell, Aaron Boupenza, Isaiah Foster and Gerado Valenzuela.  The scoreline allowed Cincinnati to sub off several starters early in the second half, and the aggregate afforded them the chance to keep Luciano (“Lucho”) Acosta on the bench until the 74’, giving many of their likely starters on Saturday some time off. In their regular season opener on Sunday, the reigning Supporters Shield winners couldn’t manage a goal as they played the reigning Wooden Spoon holders to a 0-0 draw.

Fire

The Fire opened their 2024 campaign with a 2-2 draw against the Philadelphia Union on the road. No team in the league has more points than the Union over the past four years, and no team has had a better record at home in recent years than the Union, but the team lost Andre Gutman to a non-contact injury just moments into the match, and conceded goals from leading positions twice, once again feeling like a team that manages to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory.

The Storyline

Although the Fire returned to Soldier Field – their home for their MLS Cup victory, the site where the team completed the Domestic Double in its inaugural season, and where the team added a Supporters Shield and second U.S. Open Cup to its trophy case – in 2020, pandemic restrictions and a maligned rebrand have never made it feel like the Chicago Fire team from those victories was back home.

That’s set to change in a small, but psychologically important way on Saturday night when the Fire take on FC Cincinnati, wearing red jerseys for the first time at Soldier Field in an MLS regular season match since October 8, 2005, nearly 20 years ago.

The Men In Red won’t have it easy: Their opponent is FC Cincinnati, who won their first major hardware in MLS last season when they clinched the Supporters Shield.

The Fire aren’t without a bit of luck: their opponent has a compressed schedule, with midweek continental matches happening before and after Saturday’s game; they just aren’t as fortunate as they’d thought: In the preseason they would have expected that the matchup against a top conference foe would be a bit easier as their opponent would be without a key defender due to a suspension, but ultimately, the league re-thought things and decided to allow the player to return to duty, just in time for a match against the Fire.

No, that wasn’t a holdover statement from last week’s preview: It’s just the second time in a row that it’s happened. Last week, Union defender Kai Wagner was made available just in time to see the Fire; this week, it’s center back Matt Miazga, whose suspension for entering the referees’ locker room following a playoff match last year was commuted, allowing him to return to the lineup for FC Cincinnati.

Instead, it will be the Fire who are missing a key player from their back line, as Andrew Gutman’s first match with the Fire first-team was cut tragically short with a non-contact injury in the game’s opening moments. The former Fire homegrown’s loss is a blow to the Fire, who had been looking forward to Gutman’s ability to defend as well as get involved in the attack.

Even without Gutman, however, the team has upgraded extensively over the winter transfer window, while FC Cincinnati lost more than they’ve gained in the offseason. The last time the team’s met in Chicago, it was a slugfest, with the teams ultimately playing to a three-all draw.

With a favorable forecast – temperatures at kickoff are expected to have be a good 20 degrees warmer than 2023’s home opener – and a crowd of over 25,000 expected at Soldier Field, the team has all the ingredients in place to make the Return to Red triumphant.

Availability Report

FC Cincinnati

Out: Nick Hagglund, Alec Kann

Chicago Fire

Out: Andrew Gutman, Carlos Terán, Bryan Dowd

Fire Keys to Victory

• Strong in the middle: Frank Klopas has long been cautious at integrating new players into the squad, giving them plenty of time to acclimate before starting them. Understandable. But against one the league MVP and of the top #10s in the league not named who isn’t named “Messi,” the Fire need the best defensive midfield they can get. Acosta has to start.
• Make ‘em run: FC Cincinnati were in a good enough position on goal differential to rotate over the course of their Wednesday night match, but they did still put minutes on players, and with a much bigger test starting next week – against Monterrey, one of Liga MX’s top sides – and the new home of their former star Brandon Vázquez – they know they’re going to put a lot of miles on top of the ones they already have.  Make them feel it, and they’re a lot more likely to make mistakes.
• Do it for the colors: Even with Gutman’s absence, three of the Fire’s three probable starters – Chris Brady, Mauricio Pineda and Brian Gutiérrez – are homegrowns who know what the color red means to the club (and Schaumburg native Chris Mueller has some history with the colors himself). However you cut it, the team’s return to Soldier Field in 2020 – and the results since – have not gone according to plan. This gives the team the time to turn the page – to simultaneously reconnect with its roots and start writing the next chapter. No better way to start than three points against a team many consider to be a contender.

Panel Predictions

Alex Calabrese

Motivated by a big crowd and the joy of red shirts, the Fire will put on a showat Soldier Field. Hugo Cuypers scores twice, Brian Gutiérrez adds another to his tally for the season, and the home team coasts to a statement victory.

Prediction: Fire 3-1 Cincinnati

Jiggly Carollo

"Home is a fire. A burning reminder. Of where we belong, oh." I just really think that with Guti finally taking shots and a striker who can finish the important passes, we're gonna be a high scoring team around here. The problem is what's gonna happen in defense, where we have a big question mark at leftback and a couple of centerbacks who may struggle against speed. Either way, I think the good weather is gonna bring us some goals.

Prediction: Fire 3-2 Cincinnati

Christian Hirschboeck

Even though FCC seemingly have Miazga and Boup back, they also were not entirely convincing Toronto. I think with a combination of a packed house and the Fire looking to make some noise, they’ll bring the fight to Cincy and come through with three points.

Prediction: Fire 3-2 Cincinnati

Tim Hotze

The Fire have played well against FC Cincinnati even as that team has gone from laughing stock to contender, they just haven’t been able to get results consistently enough. They can start Saturday night, though.

Prediction: Fire 2-1 Cincinnati

Max Sánchez Josa

The team is looking better defensively each game and I don’t see Cincinnati having the facilities to crack this defense, especially not in Chicago. Despite Cincinnati having two excellent center backs, Cuypers will score in the home opener. And an Arigoni goal as well.

Prediction: Fire 2-0 Cincinnati

Matt Shabelman

Statement win.

Prediction: Fire 3-1 Cincinnati

Match Information and How to Watch

Date and Time: Saturday, March 2, 2024, 7:30PM CTLocation: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.Forecast: 53’ expected at kick off, with 36% humidity, winds SSE at 10mph and 0% cloud cover with no chance of precipitation. TV: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass