It's been a rough season in league play for the Chicago Fire. They currently sit last in the MLS Eastern Conference table with 18 points. Chicago has had some rough moments this season but one bright spot can be the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Fire achieved a semifinal finish in last year's Open Cup, losing to the Philadelphia Union in Philly. This year they will be hoping things will be different. Their opponents in the semifinal, the New England Revolution, will be looking to make the final while they make a push for a playoff berth.
Chicago needs this game
Although they made some aggressive moves, the Chicago Fire are still struggling. Last Saturday they were crushed by Real Salt Lake 3-1 in a game that really wasn't that close. Coming off a draw against the New York Red Bulls, it was really disappointing to see the Fire come out flat. The loss also added to the road struggles of the Fire, who seem like they can't play well outside of Toyota Park.
But they have a chance to erase some of the regular season pain via the U.S. Open Cup. After having to go through penalties against NASL side Indy Eleven, Chicago cruised past the Colombus Crew and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The Fire played really well in both games and it seems that head coach Veljko Paunovic realizes that Chicago's best chance at winning is the cup. So it seems understandable when he rests some of his players before the semi-final.
The main guys will be David Accam and Michael De Leeuw. Both have seemed to develop a good chemistry between each other and you can see it on the field. Both scored in Chicago's last cup against Fort Lauderdale, which was the result of Accam's speed being too much for defenders to handle. Against New England, both will have to be clinical for Chicago to pull off the upset.
New England looking to bounce back
After a 3-1 loss to Orlando City SC, New England dropped a gigantic game over Toronto FC. After trading away Charlie Davies to the Philadelphia Union, New England showed that the move affected them and went out and lost against TFC 4-1. The loss was big because it helped didn't New England in the Eastern Conference table. Right now they sit on the outside looking in at the 6th seed and are seven points behind the Union. A good run of form could see them sneaking into the playoffs but they have to start that run of form. It could happen if they go out and beat a Chicago team that they beat two weeks ago.
These two teams met July 23rd and it was a very close game until a very late goal by Je-Vaughn Watson sealed all three points for New England. New England will be hoping for the result, while the Fire are out for revenge.