Chicago Fire begin their 2023 MLS campaign when they host New York City FC at Soldier Field in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Men in Red finished 12th in the Eastern Conference last season, while the MLS Cup reign of NYCFC ended when they were beaten 3-1 by the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference Final.
Match preview
© Reuters
Chicago Fire head into the 2023 MLS season looking to end their long wait to reach the playoffs, after failing to reach the postseason each of their last five attempts, while they have finished above the line in just two of the last 13 seasons.
Ezra Hendrickson will be hoping to begin his second season in charge of the Fire much like his first, after the Men in Red lost just one of their first seven games last season, conceding only twice during that stretch.
It has been a winter of change for Chicago with goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina officially departing for Chelsea, and Aston Villa spending big on young Colombian striker Jhon Duran, but the Fire have bolstered their squad with the arrivals of Arnaud Souquet, Jeff Gal, Jonathan Dean and Maren Haile-Selassie.
The Men in Red are undefeated in their preparation for the new season, winning 5-0 away at Cancun FC on January 31, before drawing 3-3 with New Mexico United on February 15 and defeating Indy Eleven 3-0 on February 25.
© Reuters
Meanwhile, New York City FC were on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat from Nashville FC in their first fixture of the new MLS season, courtesy of strikes from Walker Zimmerman and Jacob Shaffelburg.
The two-time Eastern Conference finalists from the Bronx have ushered in what will feel like a new era, with plenty of veterans leaving during the transfer window for opportunities with other clubs in MLS or abroad.
NYCFC were beaten in the Eastern Conference Final by the Philadelphia Union last season, but Nick Cushing's side but still walked away with some silverware, capturing the Campeones Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory over Mexican side Atlas.
Cushing will be hoping his side can qualify for the MLS postseason for an eighth successive campaign, despite the turnover in the squad and losing the 2021 Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos on loan to Girona midway through last season.
NYCFC were undefeated in preseason on their travels, drawing 1-1 away at Los Angeles FC before enjoying a 2-1 victory at the expense of Los Angeles Galaxy.
- W
- W
- D
- D
- L
- W
- L
Team News
© Reuters
Ahead of the 2023 campaign, Chicago added a new starting defender, acquiring Arnaud Souquet from Montpellier, and the 30-year-old arrives in the Windy City after making 149 appearances in Ligue 1.
Maren Haile-Selassie joined Chicago on loan from FC Lugano, offering another dimension in attack, while Jonathan Dean came in from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion to add depth to the squad.
Jeff Gal was signed to add another body to the goalkeeping room, where he will likely be a backup to home-grown Chris Brady, while Gabriel Slonina and Jhon Duran both departed for the Premier League in Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively.
Xherdan Shaqiri remains the key man for the Fire, showing plenty of promise in his debut season, recording seven goals and six assists in 29 appearances, despite it being disrupted by injury.
As for the visitors, Luis Barraza impressed between the sticks against Nashville despite the defeat, and Cushing may opt to start the 26-year-old again here rather than off-season signing Matt Freese.
Keaton Parks earned his 100th MLS appearance last time out and clocked his first 90 minutes of competitive action since June, so he could retain his place in the starting XI this weekend.
Braian Cufre and Mitja Ilenic both made their debuts in the trip to Tennessee last week, so they could both play a part again here.
Chicago Fire possible starting lineup:
Brady; Souquet, Teran, Czichos, M Navarro; F Navarro, Giminez; Torres, Shaqiri, Mueller; Przybylko
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Freese; Ilenic, Chanot, Martins, Amundsen; Parks, Haak; Pereira, Morales, Pellegrini; Magno
We say: Chicago Fire 1-1 New York City FC
With there being so many new faces in the NYCFC lineup, we suspect it will take some time for them to gel together as a unit, particularly on the backline.
Nick Cushing's side should have an easier time containing the Chicago Fire attack rather than Nashville's, but New York have fired blanks in their past two matches, suggesting that they do not have the firepower to take all three points.
How to watch
You can watch Chicago Fire vs. New York City FC and every MLS match this season live on Apple TV. Click here for more details on how to subscribe.For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
