CHICAGO FIRE vs. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Toyota Park | Bridgeview, Illinois
Sunday, Oct. 16 | Week #33 | MLS Game #325
3 pm ET (MLS LIVE, CSN-Chicago, CSN-NE)
A critical contest in the makeup of the postseason field in the Eastern Conference is ahead when the Chicago Fire conclude their home campaign when they take on the New England Revolution on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park. The Fire have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, starting their final two-game homestand with a 2-2 draw with Columbus Crew SC at midweek. The Revolution are desperately keeping in contact with the teams above the red line, still sitting three points out of the final playoff position with two matches following a 3-1 win against Sporting Kansas City in their last match, two weeks ago at Gillette Stadium.
- The Revolution won for a fourth time in the last five games – scoring three goals in a game for the third time in the last four – in their 3-1 win against Sporting Kansas City on Oct. 1 at Gillette Stadium. Juan Agudelo and Kei Kamara each scored a goal and added an assist; Agudelo has three goals and three assists over the five-game stretch.
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and the Revolution have won the first two, both at Gillette Stadium. Lee Nguyen scored early and Femi Hollinger-Janzen scored late as the Revolution took a 2-0 win May 14; Je-Vaughn Watson scored the game’s lone goal in the 85th minute in the New England victory.
- The teams also met in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal, Kei Kamara, Je-Vaughn Watson and Teal Bunbury all netting goals in a 3-1 Revolution victory Aug. 9 in Foxborough.
- The Fire have a four-game undefeated streak alive at Toyota Park, with a 2-2 draw there last July 25, then a 3-1 victory on Oct. 3. The Revolution have won just twice all-time at Toyota Park – a 2-1 win in 2006, then a 1-0 victory March 9, 2013.
- The Revolution have won the last four meetings between the teams in Foxborough. When the Fire won there July 12, 2014, it was their first victory at New England since 2010.
REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. AR1 (bench): Mike Rottersman; AR2 (opposite): Anthony Vasoli; 4th: Sorin Stoica
MLS Career: 221 games; FC/gm: 24.9; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 77; pens: 78
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHI: Razvan Cocis -- NE: Scott Caldwell
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: Joao Meira -- NE: Teal Bunbury, Juan Agudelo, London Woodberry
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (54 meetings): Fire 22 wins, 71 goals -- Revolution 21 wins, 74 goals -- Ties 11
AT CHICAGO (26 meetings): Fire 13 wins, 45 goals -- Revolution 5 wins, 33 goals -- Ties 8
2016 (MLS):
5/14: NE 2, CHI 0 (Nguyen 22; Hollinger-Janzen 84)
7/23: NE 1, CHI 0 (Watson 85)
- Coaches record: Jay Heaps vs. CHI: P14 W8 L4 T2 -- Veljko Paunovic vs. NE: P2 W0 L2 T0
LAST MEETING (MLS):
- The game's only goal came five minutes from full time. After Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson made save after save down the stretch, it all unraveled when he failed to claim a Chris Tierney corner and the ball fell for Je-Vaughn Watson to head home for the match-winner.
- Johnson was credited with nine saves in the defeat. Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth was credited with one save for the clean sheet.
- NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-2-3-1): Bobby Shuttleworth - Andrew Farrell, London Woodberry, Jose Goncalves, Chris Tierney - Scott Caldwell (Diego Fagundez 58), Je-Vaughn Watson - Teal Bunbury, Lee Nguyen (Gershon Koffie 88), Kelyn Rowe - Kei Kamara (Daigo Kobayashi 90).
- CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): Sean Johnson - Johan Kappelhof, Jonathan Campbell (Arturo Alvarez 89), Joao Meira, Brandon Vincent - Matt Polster, Khaly Thiam - Kennedy Igboananike (Michael Stephens 76), John Goossens, David Accam - Michael de Leeuw.
