Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 24
Toyota Park — Bridgeview
August 11 - 8:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

The New York Red Bulls will attempt to make up ground on idle Atlanta United in the Supporters’ Shield standings, while the Chicago Fire are just looking to end a losing streak when the sides meet in Bridgeview Saturday night.

This is the second meeting this season, with the Fire upsetting the Red Bulls, 2-1, in Harrison on April 21. Aleksandar Katai opened the scoring with a blistering strike in the 30th minute and Nemanja Nikolic followed with a 69th-minute penalty kick, before Bradley Wright-Phillips pulled the hosts back a goal in the 81st minute.

The Fire snapped a seven-game winless run against the Red Bulls with that 2-1 win. They have not won consecutive games against the Red Bulls since 2014-15, per Opta.

Chicago Fire

After losing a sixth straight league contest, Chicago (6-13-5) crashed out of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, losing to the Philadelphia Union, 3-0, in the semifinals at Talen Energy Stadium.

Following a scoreless first half, Cory Burke opened the scoring in the 59th minute and added his second goal 18 minutes later. CJ Sapong struck four minutes from full time for an insurance goal for the hosts.

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: M - Djordje Mihailovic (right ACL surgery), F - Michael de Leeuw (left ACL surgery), D - Matt Polster (MCL surgery), GK - Patrick McLain (hamstring injury), D - Grant Lillard (right quad injury); QUESTIONABLE: M/D - Diego Campos (left knee injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: Richard Sanchez — Raheem Edwards, Johan Kappelhof, Brandon Vincent, Jorge Corrales — Dax McCarty, Brandt Bronico — Aleksandar Katai, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luis Solignac — Nemanja Nikolic

Notes: Nikolic has scored in each of his last three regular season matches against the Red Bulls. His three goals against New York are tied for his second most against any MLS club. … Chicago have dropped six straight league games, the longest streak in franchise history. They have allowed 2.8 goals per game during the losing streak.

New York Red Bulls

New York (14-6-2) responded from a rare home loss to defeat LAFC, 2-1, in a heavyweight showdown last Sunday at Red Bull Arena.

Danny Royer struck for a brace, increasing his total to eight goals on the season, including the 80th minute on an assist from Wright-Phillips, who was honored in an elaborate post-match ceremony for scoring 100 regular season goals.

“It's perfect,” Red Bulls coach Chris Armas said. “It's better than him scoring … I think it's really fitting that he puts it in a really good way for Danny, but I think we can also appreciate the running, the pressing, the coming back into the game. I'm watching him sprint down the field when he sees Kaku is out of the spot and he's just a giver this way.

“Again, in our world here in professional sports, you don't always see that; the superstar, the guy, the goal scorer, to work and work so much and run so much for the team. It's a thing of beauty, really.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: M - Florian Valot (torn left ACL), D - Kyle Duncan (torn right ACL), M - Vincent Bezecourt (MCL sprain), D - Tommy Redding (left shoulder surgery)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Luis Robles — Kemar Lawrence, Tim Parker, Aaron Long, Michael Murillo — Sean Davis, Tyler Adams — Marc Rzatkowski, Kaku, Danny Royer — Bradley Wright-Phillips

Notes: Seven of Wright-Phillips’ 14 goals this season have come from headers, the second most in MLS and as many as he had in the last three MLS seasons combined. Only one team has allowed more headed goals this year than Chicago (nine). … New York enters as winners of seven of their last nine MLS games (2L) after going through a three-game winless run. They have limited opponents to one-or-fewer goals in six of the seven victories.

All-Time Series

Overall: Chicago Fire 27 wins, 92 goals … New York Red Bulls 17 wins, 73 goals … 12 draws
At Chicago: Fire 15 wins, 49 goals … Red Bulls 4 wins, 28 goals … 9 draws
Last meting at Chicago: Chicago Fire 1, New York Red Bulls 1 (Sept. 9, 2017)