?That's the game! Chicago wins 3-0!
82' : Strikers with some goodbuild-upbuild up play but the final touch isn't the best, which negates the chance.
80' : Another chance for the Fire with a cross coming into the box. But it's somehow cleared.
69' : RED CARD FOR FORT LAUDERDALE! IT'S GALE AGBOSSOUMONDE WHO GETS SENT OFF
61' : Vincent has a great effort on goal, but it's saved by Restrepo. Fantastic save.
56': Victor Giro has a shot and it almost sneaks in but Lampson makes the save.
51' : GOOOOAL FOR CHICAGO! IT'S KHALY THIAM WHO SCORES THE TAP IN!!
50' : Accam is free at the back post but his header goes just wide of the bar. Inches.
47' : Nick LaBrocca has a free header off a corner but it is straight to the keeper, who made a great diving stop.
46' : We are underway in the second half!
That's halftime! It's 2-0 Chicago Fire!
4 minutes of stoppage time.
38' : Chicago with another golden chance but Cocis's shot is pushed wide
35' : GOOOAL FOR THE FIRE! IT'S DE LEEUW! 2-0!
34' : Cocis with a fantastic cross and it gets to Accam inside the box but the header is off target.
28' : Strikers try to catch Chicago out on the counter. But a save is made by Lampson.
25' : Stoppage in play due to colliding of heads. Brandon Vincent of the Fire looks to be fine but Nana Attakora of the Strikers does not. He is on his way back to the locker room.
22' : Razvan Cocis with a flick on off the corner but it goes over the bar.
17' : Chicago is controlling the chances right now. They look poised to strike for another goal.
14' : Gabriel Rodrigues has a go on target. But it's easily saved by Matt Lampson.
10' : Alvarez finds Accam in the box but his touch is just too much and the keeper gathers.
8' : Free kick in a dangerous area for the Fire. It causes the goalkeeper some trouble but in the end there was no clear chance.
5' : ACCAM SCORES! 1-0 CHICAGO!
4': PENALTY TO CHICAGO!
3' : Fort Lauderdale is able to force a corner...but it's overhit and goes over everyone for a goal kick.
1' : We are underway!
Fort Lauderdale Strikers : Diego Restrepo, Nana Attakora, Jorge Corrales, Julius James, Gabriel Rodrigues, Jose Angulo, Gale Agbossoumonde, Jean-Marc Alexandre, Victor Giro, Ramon Nunez, Luis Felipe Rodrigues
Chicago Fire : Matt Lampson, Rodrigo Ramos, Johan Kappelhoff, Jonathan Campbell, Brandon Vincent, Khaly Thiam, Matt Polster, Arturo Alvarez, Razvan Cocis, David Accam, Michael De Leeuw
Lineups are out! We are less than 17 minutes to kickoff!
So that is the backstory to most of the game, we will have lineups and such when we get much closer to game time. This should be a cracker of a match on our hands. For the Strikers, this is a time for them to relive old glory by making a great run in the U.S. Open Cup. For Chicago, this is a shot at trying to fix what has been a very poor season in MLS.
The Strikers will come in with a chip on their shoulders. They currently sit in second to the last place in the NASL after four games and were not expected to make it this far. They first had to get past two MLS teams back to back to get to this position. But before that, they got past USL’s the Richmond Kickers in a penalty shootout. Then they beat D.C. United 4-3 on penalties in the 4th round. Next, they defeated Orlando City SC in a tough 1-0 victory and now find themselves in a position where they can possibly make the semifinal of the U.S. Open Cup. It’s been a nervy ride Fort Lauderdale boasts a former Chicago Fire player in midfielder Victor Pineda. He was a homegrown player and first started playing for the club. But sadly he didn’t spend a lot of time with them, being loaned to Indy Eleven, and then leaving the club in 2014. Pineda will be looking to show his former club how good he became since leaving Toyota Park. It will be a homecoming for Pineda and his teammates will try to help him spoil the show for Chicago.
The Fire will look to rely on a number of players to help them in the attack. New striker Michael De Leeuw has proven to be a big upgrade at the striker position just a few games into his Chicago Fire career. He scored against Sporting Kansas City in what was one of his easiest goals of his career. It was a tap into an empty net and it was the type of goal that can get the wheels turning for the former Eredivisie striker. De Leeuw is the quality striker that Chicago needs going forward. He can win balls in the air and is great in hold up play. His fellow Dutchman John Goossens will be key in attack as well. The work rate from the winger is incredible and he will certainly look to develop a connection with De Leeuw. David Accam will be on the left side all night and look to push the tempo with his blistering speed. Chicago has gotten themselves a solid attack and they will look to take advantage of that against the Strikers. Accam scored a brace in the last match against the Columbus Crew, scoring two goals in the first half to help Chicago take down their rivals. He will need to be in top form again. Accam has come up big in the U.S. Open Cup for Chicago before and he will have to this time. But he will have a lot of help this time.
Chicago now looks 100% focused on the Cup. Manager Veljko Paunovic by putting out a lineup filled with a lot of bench players against FC Dallas in MLS play this weekend. For a Chicago team that is looking for any sign of hope, the U.S. Open Cup can provide a moral boost. Nelson Rodriguez and the front office are trying to change the culture of the club. It is a big rebuild in Chicago and some growing pains will be there. Right now, they are taking any form of success they can get. With their league standing the way it is, they should probably focus on the U.S. Open Cup. They have a very strong chance of getting some silverware this year if they can get past the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
This is a huge match for both teams as they will face off in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Both teams have done poorly in their respective leagues with Fort Lauderdale sitting 11th in the NASL table and Chicago sitting dead last in 10th on the table. It’s safe to say that a trip to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup will certainly raise the spirits of the supporters around each club. But they have to win the game first if they want to get one step closer to the U.S. Open Cup final. Chicago will be trying to replicate the run they had to the semifinal last year.
Hello, and welcome to VAVEL USA's live coverage of the Chicago Fire - the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. My name is Vijay Vemu and I will be providing updates for you as well as coverage for the game. The match will start at 8:30 PM Eastern Time, so make sure to stay tuned here for updates.