How to Watch Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Union: Will Cuypers and Acosta debut?
MLS is back, and the Chicago Fire will kick off what promises to be an eventful 2024 with a big game at Philadelphia tonight. A sold-out crowd is expected at Subaru Park just outside of the City of Brother Love, a place where the Fire have traditionally struggled over the years. Frank Klopas, returning to the dugout for his first full season as Fire boss since 2013, will be looking to start the season off on the right foot as his team seeks to finally break a six-year playoff duck.
The Fire enter Saturday off the back of a strong preseason that saw the team go 4-1-1 across six matches. Among the results were an impressive 4-0 triumph over Minnesota United, and a 2-1 comeback victory against the Portland Timbers. Designated Player Hugo Cuypers and midfielder Kellyn Acosta did not appear in preseason, however, Cuypers only arrived in the U.S. this week and Acosta has yet to feature on the field. Xherdan Shaqiri, no longer the team's only DP superstar, will have the opportunity to play with less of a burden, and he showed well in the preseason, scoring a magnificent free kick off the bench against Minnesota.
Philadelphia enter 2024 with mostly the same team from last year and boast many returning stars from recent seasons. The Union, who finished 4th in the East last season, are once again hoping to compete for an MLS Cup, having come up just short in the 2022 final to an LAFC team led by Kellyn Acosta. Jim Curtin's group opened their 2024 campaign on Tuesday with the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup opening round tie against Costa Rican champion Saprissa, and will play the second leg this upcoming Tuesday as well.
Will Hugo Cuypers and Kellyn Acosta make their debuts?
Cuypers and Acosta are two top MLS talents who have Fire fans very excited for the new season. The Fire have struggled to find a reliable #9 since Nemanja Nikolić left in 2019, and club-record signing Cuypers could be that man after a blockbuster $12 million move from Gent. Acosta, too, was an eye-catching move, having joined late in MLS free agency despite offers from different clubs around the league.
Both of the two marquee signings are expected to start for the Fire in Chester, even though neither made an appearance with the team in preseason. Acosta will likely play alongside newly-minted DP Gastón Giménez in the heart of the midfield and will also be on most set pieces, whereas Cuypers will almost certainly start up top. Both will be looking to make a positive first impression with both the Fire fans who made the trip to Philly and those watching from home.
Several other players have signed first team deals this offseason, and most of them will be available for selection. Defenders Tobias Salquist and Allan Arigoni will most likely start and make their MLS debuts following moves from Denmark and Switzerland respectively. Andrew Gutman is also expected to be in the eleven after the Fire traded for him with Colorado.
Who's available for the Fire?
The Fire will be close to full strength for opening day, only missing some rotational players due to injury. Carlos Terán (right upper leg) misses out after surgery in January, while newly-re-signed Javi Casas (left lower leg) will also be unavailable for selection. Bryan Dowd (left lower leg) and Victor Bezerra (right upper leg) are also injured.'
The aforementioned DP star Xherdan Shaqiri will, in all likelihood, start at the #10 position beneath Cuypers. Homegrown prodigy Brian Gutiérrez, naturally a #10, will therefore start on the wing, more likely on the left. Gastón Giménez, who was upgraded from a TAM player to a DP for salary cap reasons shortly before the roster compliance deadline on Friday, will also be looking to re-find his impressive form from the back end of last season.
Who will play for the Philadelphia Union?
The Union boast a star-studded roster, headlined by MVP finalist Dániel Gazdag and All-Star midfielder José Martínez. They can also depend on exciting striker Julián Carranza, whose second half hattrick propelled his team to a 3-2 comeback win against Saprissa. They will likely be without goalkeeper Andre Blake (right adductor), however, who was injured in Costa Rica, handing a potential MLS debut opportunity to exciting 25-year-old signing Oliver Semmle.
Leon Flach (left shoulder) and Isaiah LeFlore (right knee) will certainly be unavailable for selection due to injuries.
How to watch the game:
Tonight's game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. local time (6:30 Central Time) and will be streamed exclusively on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass. Chris Wittyngham will be on the call in English alongside analyst Lori Lindsey. The game will also be available over the radio in Chicago in English and Spanish on WLS-890 AM and WBTO 1200 AM respectively.
Read More:
https://meninred97.com/back-at-it-chicago-fire-vs-philadelphia-union-mls-matchday-1/
https://meninred97.com/mir97s-2024-chicago-fire-season-preview/
https://meninred97.com/opposition-report-the-philadelphia-union/
https://meninred97.com/how-the-chicago-fire-achieved-roster-compliance/
