CHICAGO FIRE vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Illinois
March 19, 2016 (WEEK 3, MLS GAME #22)
5 pm ET (MLS LIVE, CSN Plus, TWCSC-OH, FOX 28)
A pair of Eastern Conference clubs looking for their first victories of the season meet when the Chicago Fire play host to Columbus Crew SC on Saturday afternoon at Toyota Park. The Fire came away with a point from their first road trip of the season last weekend, reaching a 1-1 draw at Orlando City SC. Crew SC have opened their season with back-to-back losses, following a 2-1 home defeat by Philadelphia Union last weekend.
- David Accam scored for a second consecutive match, but the Fire could only come away from Orlando City SC with their first point of the season, following a 1-1 draw Friday at the Citrus Bowl. The Fire saw their overall winless streak extended to 26 games, dating back July 2014, now the second-longest in MLS history and one game away from the all-time league record.
- Crew SC suffered a second consecutive defeat to open the 2016 season in their home opener, falling 2-1 to Philadelphia Union on Saturday evening. Kei Kamara hit the back of the net for the first time this season for Crew SC.
- The teams met three times in 2016. They reached a 2-2 draw May 22 in Columbus, then Crew SC defeated the Fire twice in a span of five days – a 1-0 win July 15 at Toyota Park, then a 3-1 win July 19 at Mapfre Stadium.
- Crew SC haven’t lost to the Fire in the last six meetings in the series. The last Fire victory was a 2-1 win in Columbus, June 22, 2013.
- Crew SC have come away with points in the last four home encounters with the Fire, winning three. The Crew SC victory last year at Toyota Park was their first in Bridgeview since the 2006 season. The Fire had gone 8-0-5 in the 13 meetings in between.
REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Craig Lowry; AR2 (opposite): Anthony Vasoli; 4th: Jorge Gonzalez
MLS Career: 3 games; FC/gm: 26.7; Y/gm: 2.7; R: 1; pens: 1
SUSPENDED: CHI: Michael Harrington (through March 20)
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (55 meetings): Fire 24 wins (1 shootout), 81 goals...Crew SC 16 wins (0 shootout), 82 goals...Ties 15
AT CHICAGO (28 meetings): Fire 14 wins (0 shootout), 44 goals...Crew SC 6 wins (0 shootout), 34 goals...Ties 8
RETURN MATCHES: 10/1: Columbus Crew SC vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. ET; 10/13: Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew SC, 7:30 p.m. CT
LAST YEAR (MLS)
5/22: CLB 2, CHI 2 (Kamara 8, 55 - Accam 58; J. Johnson 94+)
7/15: CHI 0, CLB 1 (Kamara 41)
7/19: CLB 3, CHI 1 (Higuain 2; Kamara 17; Finlay 83 - Accam 9)
- The teams met three times in 2016. They reached a 2-2 draw May 22 in Columbus, then Crew SC defeated the Fire twice in a span of five days ñ a 1-0 win July 15 at Toyota Park, then a 3-1 win July 19 at Mapfre Stadium.
- Crew SC havenít lost to the Fire in the last six meetings in the series. The last Fire victory was a 2-1 win in Columbus, June 22, 2013.
- Crew SC have come away with points in the last four home encounters with the Fire, winning three. The Crew SC victory last year at Toyota Park was their first in Bridgeview since the 2006 season. The Fire had gone 8-0-5 in the 13 meetings in between.
- Coaches record: Veljko Paunovic vs. CLB: first game Ö Gregg Berhalter vs. CHI: P5 W3 L0 T2
