The Black & Gold return home to host the Chicago Fire for the second time this season. This will be the third and final meeting between the Midwestern rivals. The match is set to kick off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In their first cross-conference clash, the Black & Gold opened the 2017 with a 1-1 draw at MAPFRE Stadium on March 4. Despite finding the back of the net first thanks to an Ethan Finlay header in the 17th minute, David Accam was able to knot things up for the Fire in the 73rd minute. The match may have ended in a draw but it was a memorable one for Goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who made his MLS debut.
For their second meeting of the 2017 season, the Black & Gold travelled to Bridgeview to face the Fire, and the newly acquired German legend, Bastian Schweinsteiger, for a 1-0 loss on April 8 at Toyota Park. Nemanja Nikolic notched the lone goal of the match in the 22nd minute off a pass by Dax McCarty. Despite a tough loss, the Black & Gold put up a fight including a Schweinsteiger free kick save by Steffen in the 76th minute – which was later an MLS nominee for Save of the Week, and a crucial goal line clearance by Nicolai Naess in the 81st minute.
Saturday’s match will be the 60th meeting between the Midwestern Rivals, with the Black & Gold holding a 17-24-17 overall record against the Fire and an 11-10-7 record at home. Both teams are currently sitting above the red line and hungry for some vital points.
