How to watch Chicago Fire vs. Charlotte FC; can the Fire clinch playoffs tonight?
The Chicago Fire return to the field tonight as they look to follow up their historic 4-1 win over Inter Miami with another victory against Charlotte FC. The demolition of Miami on Wednesday, fueled by second-half braces from Xherdan Shaqiri and Maren Haile-Selassie, propelled the Fire as high as 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings, firmly placing them in a position to make the Wild Card with just two games remaining.
The Fire know that with a win, they could wake up on Sunday morning locked into playoff qualification for the first time since 2017. They’ll need help from elsewhere, but getting the three points against Charlotte is paramount, as it will eliminate at least one playoff rival, if not more. Charlotte was the team that officially eliminated the Fire in 2022, too, as they overturned a two-goal lead in what turned out to be Gaga Slonina’s last game at Soldier Field.
Charlotte must win to keep playoff hopes alive. While they only sit two points below the line and have a game in hand, there are still three teams between them and the playoff places. In addition, their two other remaining matches are against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, one at home and one on the road, and stealing the full six points from those seems like a pipe dream.
How can the Fire clinch playoffs tonight?
There are a few scenarios in which the Fire can officially secure a playoff spot tonight and ease the nerves heading into the final game two weeks from today in New York City. All of them involve the Fire winning, so first and foremost, that is the most important. In addition, at least two of the three teams trailing the Fire, CF Montréal, New York City FC, and the New York Red Bulls, must drop points. Montréal are slight favorites at home against the Portland Timbers, NYCFC travel to D.C. United, and the Red Bulls will host Toronto FC, a game they should easily win. All of those matches kick off at 6:30 Central Time, one hour before the Fire, so by halftime, it should be clear what the scenarios are.
If the Fire win and Nashville lose at Philadelphia, it opens up the slim possibility that the Fire could bypass the Wild Card and finish 7th. It is extremely unlikely, but if the Fire can win their last two games and Nashville lose out against Philly, New England, and New York, Chicago would jump them in the standings.
Who's available for the Fire?
All of the heroes of the Miami win will be returning to the Soldier Field pitch tonight. That includes Designated Player Xherdan Shaqiri, who will get one last runout before he departs for international duty with Switzerland during the break this week. Maren Haile-Selassie, who also scored twice, should earn the start after coming off the bench midweek, while midfielder Gastón Giménez is also a lock to start. Center back Wyatt Omsberg should earn another start ahead of Carlos Terán after a strong performance in the last game.
Six players will be missing for the Fire through injury, though none of them played against Miami. Most notably, Kei Kamara is a new addition to the injury report; he’s been ruled out with a spinal injury. The 39-year-old forward has appeared in just one of the Fire’s last four, and he was an unused substitute in the wins over New York and Miami. Mexican DP Jairo Torres (right upper leg), who had been questionable entering the Miami game, is out for tonight with the same injury he sustained at Red Bull Arena last week. Fede Navarro (left lower leg) and Mauricio Pineda (right lower leg) remain out, though they are working their way back to match health; Chris Mueller (right upper leg) is still out with a season-ending injury.
Who will play for Charlotte?
There are a few players from Charlotte that Fire fans may be familiar with. For one, Carolina native and former Fire fan-favorite Brandt Bronico is a potential starter in midfield. He’ll be next to former Aston Villa and Burnley midfielder Ashley Westwood, with Polish international forward Karol Świderski likely in front of them. Świderski, a former teammate of Chicago’s Georgios Koutsias at PAOK, scored twice in Charlotte’s 3-2 win at Soldier Field last season and will be joining up with the Polish national team after the game.
Charlotte will be without two players through injury. Brazilian U-22 Initiative forward Vinícius Mello (right lower leg) has only appeared three times this season and will miss out again tonight, and midfielder Ben Bender (left knee) is also unavailable.
How to watch the game
For those unable to make it to Soldier Field, the game will be broadcast on Apple TV in English and Spanish with the MLS Season Pass. Kevin Egan will be on the call, with Kyndra de St. Aubin on color commentary. It will also be aired on 890 WLS-AM radio (Max Thoma and Dasan Robinson) and TUDN 1200 AM (Omar Ramos and Raquel Ortiz).
Read More
https://meninred97.com/won-more-at-home-chicago-fire-vs-charlotte-fc-matchday-37-preview/
https://meninred97.com/victory-before-record-crowd-the-pinnacle-of-wyatt-omsbergs-career/
https://meninred97.com/xherdan-shaqiri-repays-fire-stuns-miami-before-record-crowd/
