CHICAGO FIRE vs. PHILADELPHIA UNION
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Illinois
APRIL 2, 2016 (WEEK 5, MLS GAME #35)
5 pm ET (MLS LIVE, CSN-Chicago, The Comcast Network)
It’s a key meeting in the Eastern Conference when the Chicago Fire entertain the Philadelphia Union on Saturday afternoon at Toyota Park. The Fire are still looking for their first victory of the season, reaching a second straight draw last time out in a scoreless result with Columbus Crew SC. The Union have won back-to-back games to shoot to the top of the East table, tied atop the conference after their 3-0 home win against the New England Revolution two weeks ago at Talen Energy Stadium.
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- The Fire return to MLS play following a second draw in as many matches last time out, reaching a scoreless result with Columbus Crew SC on March 19.
- Union are coming off a second consecutive victory, a 3-0 win vs. the New England Revolution on March 20 at Talen Energy Stadium, as C.J. Sapong recorded his second career two-goal game in MLS. Union have won back-to-back games in league play for the first time since May 17-24, 2015.
- The Fire have not lost to Union over six consecutive meetings in MLS play, with two wins and four draws since the last Philadelphia victory in the series, May 18, 2013 in Chester. The Fire won 1-0 at Toyota Park last March, the Fire’s first win at home vs. Union since 2012; Philadelphia had won two of the four Bridgeview meetings in between, with two draws.
- The Fire have come away with points on their last three trips to Chester, with draws in the last two meetings there.
- The teams did meet in a US Open Cup semifinal last year, Union reaching the title game for a second year in a row with a 1-0 win in Chester.
REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. AR1 (bench): Philippe Brière; AR2 (opposite): Gianni Facchini; 4th: Kevin Terry Jr.
Petrescu MLS Career: 107 games; FC/gm: 27.6; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 14; pens: 21
SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (15 meetings): Fire 5 wins, 19 goals … Union 5 wins, 19 goals … Ties 5
AT CHICAGO (8 meetings): Fire 3 wins, 9 goals … Union 2 wins, 9 goals … Ties 3
RETURN MATCHES: 6/22: Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire, 7pm ET; 9/3: Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30pm CT
LAST YEAR (MLS)
3/29: CHI 1, PHI 0 (Adaílton 37)
8/16: PHI 3, CHI 3 (Aristeguieta 21; Fabinho 31; Le Toux 90 – Igboananike 9, 92+; Nyarko 54)
- The Fire have not lost to the Union over six consecutive meetings in MLS play, with two wins and four draws since the last Philadelphia victory in the series, on May 18, 2013 in Chester.
- The Fire won 1-0 at Toyota Park last March, the Fire’s first win at home vs. Union since 2012; Philadelphia had won two of the four Bridgeview meetings in between, with two draws. The Fire have come away with points on their last three trips to Chester, with draws in the last two meetings there.
LAST YEAR (US Open Cup)
8/12: PHI 1, CHI 0 (Le Toux 74)
- The teams met in a US Open Cup semifinal last year, with the Union reaching the title game for a second year in a row with a 1-0 win in Chester.
COACHES' RECORDS:
Veljko Paunovic vs. PHI: first game
Jim Curtin vs. CHI: P4 W0 L1 T3
