Chicago Fire look to make it two wins in a row against Portland Timbers

In a season for the Chicago Fire that has been filled with disappointments, you have to cherish any signs of hope that show up. That sign of hope sprang up last week when the Fire defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0. Chicago grabbed an early goal from winger Arturo Alvarez in the 3rd minute and never looked back.

It was the 2nd win of the season for the Fire but the win wasn't enough to help them move from the bottom of the MLS table. Chicago sits a point behind the Columbus Crew and a draw could possibly vault the Fire from the 10th spot to 9th spot. Getting a draw won't be easy, however, as the Fire take on the Portland Timbers. 

Portland looking for consistency

The champions have gotten off to a rocky start this year. Portland is currently 8th in the Western Conference table with 15 points on the season. They recently snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Taking advantage of some poor defensive errors by Vancouver, the Timbers had four different players score on the afternoon. Everyone from Diego Valeri to Darlington Nagbe had a crack at goal. The win was even more special because it snapped their losing streak and they can walk into Chicago with a clean slate.

The poor start could be concerning for many Portland supporters but one must remember that this team started out slow last season and picked up the pace near playoff time, capping their run with an MLS trophy. 

 

 

 

Sadly for Portland, they may be missing the play of Darlington Nagbe. The winger has had a great week so far as he scored his first ever goal for the USMNT.  He chested down Bobby Wood's cross and pushed past the goalkeeper in the national team's 1-0 win over Ecuador this week. Nagbe's 90th-minute winner was the difference in that match. The US play Bolivia around the same time as this game so the chance of him playing for Portland are very slim. 

Sean Johnson back for Chicago

He will be facing a Chicago defense that has a new voice at the back. After being out with an injury to begin the season, Sean Johnson is now back in goal for the Chicago Fire. In his second start of the year, Johnson recorded a shutout against the Dynamo. He made some key saves including a late punch of the ball to push it over the bar in the last five minutes of the match. After it appears that he had lost his starting spot to Matt Lampson, who had a decent start to the season, Johnson has regained his spot as the top goalie for the Fire. 

The game will kick off at 8:30 PM ET at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.