After a disappointing 0-2 defeat to Columbus Crew, Oscar Pareja’s Orlando City SC hit the road to take on Chicago Fire for the first time this MLS season.
Eager to quickly erase our memories of the Crew loss, the Lions visit Soldier Field this Wednesday encouraged by the fact that Chicago Fire are winless in their last eight MLS fixtures.
On Saturday, Frank Klopas’ side rescued a 1-1 draw at D.C. United after trailing in the first-half. They currently sit fourteenth in the Eastern Conference with just 11 points from 15 games.
Last time out
On Saturday, Diego Rossi scored a goal in each half as Orlando City SC fell 0-2 to defending 2023 MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew at Inter&Co Stadium.
Unfortunately, it was a tale of missed chances for City who failed to capitalise against a savvy and in form Crew side.
With Columbus Crew set to face Pachuca in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup Final on Saturday, Wilfried Nancy could’ve chosen to rest some of his key players.
However, Aidan Morris, Darlington Nagbe, and Diego Rossi all started the game in Central Florida.
The visitors secured their third consecutive away victory in MLS, taking a 0-1 lead into half-time after Rossi converted a controversial penalty kick in first-half stoppage time.
The chorus of boos cascading down from The Wall said it all, highlighting an unlikely, confusing, and frustrating turn of events.
It all started when César Araújo tugged down Aidan Morris in the City box and committed a foul according to VAR, which referee Jair Marrufo initially missed.
Shortly after, Luis Muriel was brought down in the Crew box by Steven Moreira, and Marrufo called a PK for City.
The VAR then called the referee to review Araújo’s foul on Morris and a PK was handed to Crew down at the other end of the field.
While it was the right call in the end, you can forgive Orlando City SC supporters for feeling some kind of way about it all.
After all, it took two full minutes before Jair Marrufo consulted the VAR monitor and called a foul on Araújo for his initial role in the crazy sequence.
A painful way to surrender the lead, Rossi ruthlessly doubled the Crew’s advantage on 61 minutes.
As Pedro Gallese faced up the Uruguayan, he deftly dinked the ball past the Peruvian after an incisive through ball from Yaw Yeboah.
Agonisingly a top quality finish, this took Rossi’s tally to four goals in his last four MLS matches.
On the night, Patrick Schulte made five saves to secure his fourth shutout of the season for Columbus Crew.
And it was Schulte who was involved in a final twist of bad luck for Orlando City SC on 73 minutes.
After Facundo Torres sent a cross into the Columbus Crew box, Malte Amundsen beat the returning Ramiro Enrique to the ball and inadvertently deflected it right into Schulte’s hands from point-blank range.
With the goal wide open, the ball somehow stayed out of the net, leaving Inter&Co Stadium stunned.
When your luck is out, it’s out, and the Lions were denied a chance to halve the deficit at a crucial stage in the game.
Failing to get revenge against the side that eliminated us from the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, Orlando City SC must now go back to the drawing board after seeing our three-game unbeaten streak snapped.
Previously a lucky charm for Orlando City SC, the 0-2 loss also marked the Lions’ first home defeat with Jair Marrufo as head referee, ending a streak of 5 wins and 1 draw.
Last head-to-head
Last facing Chicago Fire in MLS back in August 2023, Orlando City SC achieved a morale-boosting 1-3 victory at Soldier Field right after the 2023 Leagues Cup break.
There was much to be proud of in our comeback victory too.
Our fourth victory in five MLS games, Orlando City SC started hitting form when it mattered, extending their hot streak at the home of the club called “Fire”.
Considering Mauricio Pineda opened the scoring with a sweetly taken volley on 47 minutes, Orlando City SC‘s reaction was fast and first class.
Just three minutes separated Pedro Gallese picking the ball out of his net and fellow Peruvian Wilder Cartagena plundering a headed equaliser off a pin-point Facundo Torres corner.
With the wind in Orlando City SC‘s sails, the Lions turned the entire game on its head by 54 minutes.
With his trusty left boot, Rafael Santos whipped a devilish cross to Fire’s back post.
From here, César Araújo rose highest above Gastón Giménez and Iván Angulo propelled a header past the helpless Spencer Richey.
Leaving Soldier Field shell-shocked, Frank Klopas’ Fire side then shot themselves in the foot on 68 minutes.
Starting the game from right back, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson drove to the edge of Chicago Fire’s 18-yard box
He then cleverly cut the ball back to his left foot.
Running perpendicular to Fire’s goal, Miguel Navarro really sloppily dangled his left leg.
Carelessly tripping the Icelander, the Venezuelan conceded an untimely penalty.
Right on the white line of Fire’s penalty area, referee Lukasz Szpala remained eagle-eyed to correctly call a PK.
This handed Orlando City SC a huge chance to secure a second successive MLS road win.
Up stepped the dependable Facundo Torres who roofed an emphatic left-footed penalty to Spencer Richey’s right.
With Júnior Urso entering the game on 79 minutes, The Bear’s second debut in purple was the icing on the cake of a fine night beside Lake Michigan.
Looking back, the entire course of the game could’ve been different had Georgios Koutsias’ 24th minute goal stood.
With the game tied 0-0, VAR correctly ruled that Brian Gutiérrez played his assist forward – and not back – to Koutsias.
Not holding his run, the Greek forward’s right leg was marginally offside at the time of Gutiérrez’s pass.
Soccer is a game of fine margins and to Orlando City SC‘s relief, they survived this key moment.
Our second 1-3 / 3-1 win over Chicago Fire last season, Facundo Torres bagged three goals across the two head-to-heads.
Additionally, the result ensured that Oscar Pareja has five wins from seven games against Fire too.
What’s at stake this time?
Stuck in tenth place in the Eastern Conference, Orlando City SC currently have 16 points from 14 games played.
Two points adrift of Philadelphia Union and D.C. United, these two sides still occupy the MLS Wild Card match slots.
At this point, it’s worth noting that D.C. have played one game more (15) than both Union and our Lions, however.
So far this MLS season, Orlando City SC have been more successful on the road (10 points) than at home (6 points).
This recurring theme of Oscar Pareja’s tenure gives us hope against a Chicago Fire side that consistently competes in the lower doldrums of the Eastern Conference.
Addressing the elephant in the room, Facundo Torres has frustratingly been stuck in neutral this year.
Currently being deployed as a left wing back due to his lack of attacking threat, El Cuervo has only managed one goal and one assist so far this MLS season – a really disappointing return for a player who has been our talisman in recent years gone by.
Additionally, Luis Muriel has now gone three MLS games without scoring since his long overdue brace at Philadelphia Union – another source of frustration for both him and City supporters too.
Ultimately, Orlando City SC are desperate to get Duncan McGuire back on the field after he missed the 0-2 home loss to Columbus Crew due to a shoulder injury incurred at San Jose Earthquakes.
Giving our attack a genuine cutting edge, it’s worrying to think that McGuire may not be around for too much longer with Blackburn Rovers and now Legia Warsaw reportedly circling for his mid-season signature.
Opposition danger men
In a boost to Orlando City SC, Xherdan Shaqiri won’t be available for Chicago Fire on Wednesday.
Shaqiri, who missed the Fire’s 1-1 draw at D.C. United this past weekend, has travelled early to Switzerland’s national team camp in St. Gallen to begin preparations for UEFA Euro 2024.
Stats-wise, Xherdan Shaqiri has scored 14 goals and registered 18 assists in MLS despite Chicago Fire’s overall mediocrity.
Nevertheless, many Fire supporters have expressed frustration over Shaqiri’s inconsistency and injuries.
As Major League Soccer’s fourth highest-paid player in 2024 ($8.1 million), they feel his overall contribution has not fully justified the substantial investment.
In Shaqiri’s absence, Homegrown attacking midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and new Designated Player Hugo Cuypers are big threats for the hosts.
Having made over 90 MLS appearances for Chicago Fire despite still being 20-years-old, Brian Gutiérrez has excellent ball control, quick dribbling skills, and an eye for creating scoring opportunities.
In MLS, hometown hero Gutiérrez is currently on three goals and one assist for 2024.
Elsewhere, striker Hugo Cuypers is Fire’s club record signing having joined the Illinois club from Belgian side Gent for a reported $12 million in the off-season.
A prolific goalscorer in the Belgian Pro League, Cuypers only has three goals in 15 MLS appearances so far.
Just like Luis Muriel, Cuypers has struggled to adapt to MLS, but his pedigree is there for sure.
Only time will tell whether Hugo Cuypers is a hit or a miss in MLS.
And Orlando City SC supporters will be quick to tell you that prolific European goalscoring doesn’t always translate to being an MLS success – just look at Ercan Kara!
Last but not least, there is also former Lion Chris Mueller too.
Joining his hometown MLS club in May 2022 after it didn’t work out for him in Scotland with Hibernian, Mueller has endured an injury-hit spell at Soldier Field.
Missing the entire second-half of Fire’s 2023 MLS season due to a long-term hip injury, Chris Mueller has made 45 MLS appearances for Fire overall, scoring six goals and registering eight assists.
Mueller will no doubt be fired up to perform well against Orlando City SC who helped launch the MLS career of the former Wisconsin Badgers man.
New opposition faces
Compared to the last time Orlando City SC faced Chicago Fire in MLS, the Illinois side have many new faces on their 2024 roster.
These include USMNT midfielder Kellyn Acosta, Swiss right back Allan Arigoni (on loan), former New York Red Bulls striker Tom Barlow, the aforementioned Hugo Cuypers, left backs Chase Gasper and Andrew Gutman, and Danish centre back Tobias Salquist.
Kellyn Acosta is the standout name on this list of new arrivals with the former FC Dallas, Colorado Rapids, and Los Angeles FC man having currently tallied 15 MLS appearances for Fire, scoring two goals and registering one assist.
And it was Acosta’s second-half goal that rescued a point for Chicago Fire at D.C. United this past weekend.
Injuries and suspensions
Heading into this game, Michael Halliday (right knee) and young Homegrown Player Tahir Reid-Brown (left thigh) are both definitely out for the Lions.
Orlando City UK understands that Duncan McGuire (shoulder) will miss this game at Chicago Fire too.
Despite being pictured boarding a Chicago-bound flight at Orlando International Airport (MCO), we understand that McGuire will be in contention for this Saturday’s away game at New York Red Bulls.
Given our goalscoring struggles, this is reassuring news indeed.
Elsewhere, Robin Jansson should be back in contention to start this midweek game at Chicago Fire.
As a precaution, our club captain was an unused substitute against Columbus Crew following his recovery from an ankle injury.
As for Chicago Fire, defenders Chase Gasper (leg) and Tobias Salquist (leg) are both definitely out of Wednesday’s game.
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Chicago Fire vs Orlando City SC
Last 3 head-to-heads
- April 9, 2022: Orlando City SC 1 Chicago Fire 0 (MLS)
- July 1, 2023: Orlando City SC 3 Chicago Fire 1 (MLS)
- August 20, 2023: Chicago Fire 1 Orlando City SC 3 (MLS)
2015/23 head-to-head stats
- It was 1-3 to Orlando the last time the sides met (August 2023)
- Played Fire 18 times in MLS – Fire 5, Draws 6, Orlando 7
- Orlando are unbeaten in the last 5 MLS head-to-heads – winning 4 of them
- Fire have lost 4 of their last 5 MLS fixtures
- Only one side has scored in 3 of Orlando’s last 5 MLS fixtures
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Watching the game
Chicago Fire vs Orlando City SC will be shown live on Apple TV at 01:30 (GMT) on Thursday, May 30.
Remember, UK supporters can watch all of Orlando City SC‘s 2024 MLS regular season fixtures by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
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