The Chicago Fire roll into New England tonight losers of three straight, looking to salvage any hopes of playoff qualification this season.
The team sits in 13th on 30 points, only six points back of the seventh place Columbus Crew, but with a glut of teams between themselves and the red line. The Revs, meanwhile, are in 9th, just two back of the Crew, so they’ll be looking to avoid a letdown at home.
The Fire will need somewhere around 46 points to make the playoffs. With seven games left–including tonight–it’s possible, but it will be very, very difficult. That would mean taking 16 points from the remaining matches–something like five wins, and one or two draws would do it.
“Our aspirations are still to make the playoffs,” Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson said. “We have seven games, and we just need to get as many points as we can out of the 21 possible, because it’s starting to get a little tough now.”
The Fire could enter the match without all three designated players. Gastón Giménez is out for the season, Jairo Torres is also listed as out for this one, and Xherdan Shaqiri is questionable after asking to come out of the CF Montreal loss in the 30th minute after the team went down 2-0.
Team captain Rafael Czichos and midfielder/defender Mauricio Pineda are also both questionable, meaning Hendrickson may have tough task figuring out who will step up if all those players are indeed missing.
This is the first of two away matches this week, with the Fire visiting the Columbus Crew on Saturday. A couple wins would catapult the Fire back into contention, but two more losses will all but end their 2022 season.
Sorry, Wyatt
When Fire defender Wyatt Omsberg joined us on the CHGO Fire Podcast a few months ago, we asked him to choose which stadium–anywhere in the world–where he’d most want to play. He did not choose Camp Nou or Old Trafford or Signal Iduna Park. Instead, the native New Englander and big Patriots fan chose noted soccer cathedral Gillette Stadium.
Sadly, because of his foot injury, Omsberg won’t be able to realize his dream tonight. We’re thinking of you, Wyatt. Get well soon.
How to Watch
New England Revolution vs. Chicago Fire
MLS Match Day #28 | Wednesday, August 31 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. CT
TV: WGN-TV
Streaming: CF97 Live (available for free at ChicagoFire.com or the Chicago Fire mobile app for fans watching within 75 miles of Soldier Field)
Out of Market Streaming: ESPN+
Talent: Tyler Terens (play-by-play/New York Jets enthusiast), Tony Meola (color commentator/New York Jets kicker for one preseason when Tyler was a baby)
Follow Us! @CHGO_Fire
Injury Report
Chicago
OUT: Gastón Giménez (right hamstring), Wyatt Omsberg (left foot), Jairo Torres (left lower leg)
QUESTIONABLE: Javier Casas, Jr. (right lower leg), Rafael Czichos (left knee), Xherdan Shaqiri (left quad), Mauricio Pineda (left foot)
New England
OUT: Jacob Jackson (leg), Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (leg)
QUESTIONABLE: Giacomo Vrioni (leg), Dylan Borrero (leg), Wilfrid Kaptoum (leg)
Next Up for Chicago
Saturday, September 3 | at Columbus Crew | Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH | 6:30 p.m. CT, WGN
Saturday, September 10 | vs Inter Miami | SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, IL | 7:00 p.m. CT, WGN
Tuesday, September 13 | at CF Montreal | Stade Saputo, Montreal, QC, Canada | 6:30 p.m. CT, WGN
Saturday, September 17 vs Charlotte FC | Soldier Field, Chicago | 7:00 p.m. CT, WGN
Saturday, October 1 at FC Cincinnati | TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH | 6:30 p.m. CT, WGN
Saturday, October 9 vs. New England Revolution | SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview | 1:30 p.m. CT, WGN
Prediction
PointsBet has the Fire as heavy underdogs tonight (-125 for a Revs win, +290 for a draw, +320 for a Fire win.) I see no possible way the Fire get out of Massachusetts with three points, but I said that before the Philadelphia Union midweek game a few weeks ago that the Fire won 1-0, so I know nothing. Still, I say the Revs win this one 2-0.
