Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution
2018 MLS Regular Season – Week 15
Toyota Park - Bridgeview
June 9 – 8:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

After an impressive win over the New York Red Bulls, the New England Revolution are trying to move into upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, but they they’ve won just one of their first five games away from Gillette Stadium. Meanwhile, the Chicago Fire can push above the playoff line with their second straight victory.

Chicago have won a franchise-record four straight against New England. They had won four of their previous 14 matches against them (8L-2L).

Chicago Fire

Chicago (5-7-2) avoided a third losing streak of the season by defeating the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, earning a second victory in their last three games. Known for late-game heroics, Alan Gordon instead opened the scoring in the 29th minute. Aleksandar Katai followed with his fourth goal of the season in the 49th minute, leaving Danny Hoesen’s 74th-minute goal for San Jose largely cosmetic.

In one of four all-MLS Fourth Round U.S. Open Cup matchups, Chicago then dramatically defeated Columbus Crew SC Wednesday night, needing 11 rounds of a penalty kick shootout after the teams ended in a 1-1 draw.

“I think it is good for us to get this win in the Open Cup and very important for our club," Veljko Paunovic said after the game. "This very important competition gives us more confidence to move on not only in the next round, but in the next couple of games, the next stretch of games we have at home and on the road.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: D - Johan Kappelhof, D - Kevin Ellis
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: M - Djordje Mihalovic (right ACL surgery), F - Michael de Leeuw (left ACL surgery), D - Matt Polster (MCL surgery), GK - Patrick McLain (hamstring injury); QUESTIONABLE: M - Jon Bakero (right ankle injury), F - Elliot Collier (left gastroc injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Richard Sanchez — Kevin Ellis, Johan Kappelhof, Brandon Vincent, Jorge Corrales — Dax McCarty, Mo Adams, Bastian Schweinsteiger — Aleksandar Katai, Alan Gordon, Luis Solignac

Notes: Gordon has scored a goal in three consecutive matches, tying a career-long streak. He now has four goals this season – he has scored more than five in a MLS season just once (13 in 2012). … The Fire own the second-worst expected goals against per game (2.2) and fourth-worst goals against per game (1.9) in MLS since the start of May (3W-4L).

New England Revolution

After conceding an early goal, New England (6-4-4) rallied to equalize in first half stoppage time on Diego Fagundez’s fourth goal of the season. Teal Bunbury then netted what proved to be the 78th-minute winner as the Revs extended an unbeaten streak to three games.

That was the good news for the week. The bad came on Tuesday when the Revs became the first Cupset victim, losing to Louisville City, 3-2, in the USOC.

“Each and every day, you owe it to yourself as a player to bring the energy,” Brad Friedel said after the match. “It’s not for somebody else to corral it with the group. It is a bare minimum requirement to work hard when you play soccer. The best players in the world, the most technically-gifted players in the world, they all work hard – every single one of them. You can never just stroll out onto the field and expect to get results.

“I think they felt they’ll put the shirt on, they’re an MLS team, they’ll come out and they deserve to win the game. I’m afraid that’s not how it works. That’s not how it works anywhere in the world in cup competitions.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: D - Claude Dielna, M - Luis Caicedo
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: M - Isaac Angking (illness), D - Chris Tierney (torn right ACL)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Matt Turner — Andrew Farrell, Antonio Delamea, Jalil Anibaba, Claude Dielna — Luis Caicedo, Kelyn Rowe — Krisztian Nemeth, Diego Fagundez, Cristian Penilla — Teal Bunbury

Notes: Since the start of last July, Bunbury has 15 goals in MLS play, the most of any American in the league. Only five MLS players have tallied more in that time. … Since a 2-0 loss in Philadelphia to open the 2018 season, New England is 1W-1L-2D on the road, scoring multiple goals in all four games. They had multiple goals in a road game just three times in 2017.

All-Time Series

Overall: Chicago Fire 26 wins 82 goals … New England Revolution 21 wins, 77 goals … 11 draws
At Chicago: Fire 16 wins, 54 goals … Revolution 5 wins, 35 goals … 8 draws
Last meeting at Chicago: Chicago Fire 4, New England Revolution 1 (Aug. 5, 2017)