One of Major League Soccer’s most historic rivalries will be renewed on Wednesday night as the New England Revolution hosts the Chicago Fire at Gillette Stadium.
After a woeful start to the campaign, it looked like New England was on the cusp of turning their season around in the summer after only losing twice in the span of 13 games. However, they’ve since lost their last two, and they now sit outside the top seven in the Eastern Conference. The Revolution still have time and plenty of talent on their side, but they can’t afford to drop many more points.
Chicago, meanwhile, were all but eliminated from playoff contention after a loss at home to CF Montréal. Comprehensively beaten on the night, they couldn’t even manage a goal despite playing the entire second half up a man. It was a pitiful showing from a Fire team that needed a win, and now they sit behind the rest of the chasing pack in terms of the postseason picture. They might mathematically still be in the running, but there’s little reason to expect a late season resurgence.
Team news
Both teams have been bit by the injury bug as of late.
New England will certainly be without Jacob Jackson and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, while the likes of Dylan Borrero, Wilfrid Kaptoum, and Giacomo Vrioni are all doubts due to leg injuries.
Then there’s Chicago, who are in the midst of a crisis. Gastón Giménez, Wyatt Omsberg, and Jairo Torres are all out, while Javier Casas Jr, Rafael Czichos, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Mauricio Pineda are currently seen as questionable.
Predicted lineups
New England Revolution: Petrović, Bye, Farrell, Kessler, Jones, McNamara, Polster, Makoun, Gil, Bou, Boateng
Chicago Fire: Slonina, Sekulić, Terán, Bornstein, M. Navarro, F. Navarro, Oregel, Herbers, Gutiérrez, Mueller, Durán
Ones to watch
Gustavo Bou
New England really needs Gustavo Bou this weekend.
One of the best strikes in the entire league when healthy, the problem is Bou hasn’t been fully healthy this season. He only lasted two games before picking up his first major injury of the year, a hamstring issue that took him out for two months.
The Argentine was great upon his return, scoring seven goals in nine matches. However, that span was cut short when he got hurt again, and he missed another month of the season as a result.
Bou was back in the team this past weekend, and he came on as a sub at half-time in the loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy. He didn’t do much during his cameo, but that appearance was more about getting him back to match fitness than anything else. With that showing under his belt, he should be able to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.
That could not come any sooner for the Revolution. The attacker is a danger whenever he’s out on the pitch, especially when the ball is in the final third. He knows how to find space in the area and get himself in the right positions, and then when the ball does come his way, he’s able to rifle it home with frightening consistency. He’s more than just a goalscorer as well, as his movement and linkup play opens up opportunities for others.
Chicago’s defense has struggled recently, which might make this the perfect time for Bou to strike. A goal or two here could kick-start a run for both him and his team, and knowing his talent, that very well could happen.
(I wanted to dedicate this segment to Carles Gil so I could make a “Gil gets his lick” reference not going to lie)
Brian Gutiérrez
It’s time for the Chicago kids to shine.
The circumstances certainly call for it. First of all, the Fire’s got their aforementioned injury crisis, which means they might not have anyone else to turn to. Then there’s the fact that their season is already all but over anyway, so they might as well give the youngsters some more minutes since the games don’t matter as much.
Of all the academy products that could feature during this final stretch of the season, the most interesting one to keep an eye on is Brian Gutiérrez.
He’s already played a good chunk of the campaign, to be fair. Not a guaranteed starter, the midfielder is effectively the Fire’s 12th man, or their first one off the bench. Whenever one of the attacking trio is unavailable for selection, Gutiérrez is called upon to fill in. If they all start, then he serves as a supersub late on.
The 19-year-old has somewhat taken the opportunities that have come his way. He’s been decent, and he’s been a reliable enough performer going forward. However, he’s not really set the world alight like some would have hoped. One goal and three assists isn’t the most impressive return to say the very least, and aside from a few memorable moments, he’s been pretty average.
That could change before the year is done, though. Gutiérrez could become a focal point of sorts for the Fire for the rest of the season, and that added emphasis might lead to some improved play. This campaign is nearly over, but some quality showings from the player this time around should lead to him being even better come 2023.
Chicago can hope, at least.
Last time out
The most recent meeting between the two sides was quite the fun one.
It was an eventful contest to say the very least, but none of the action happened in the first half.
However, things kicked into gear moments after the break. Chicago just couldn’t clear the ball away, and it eventually fell to Wilfrid Kaptoum, who took a touch to settle himself before going for goal from some distance. His strike was a superb one, and it flew into the bottom corner past the outstretched arms of Gabriel Slonina.
The Fire responded very well to going down, though, equalizing just two minutes later. Jhon Espinoza’s cross seemed to fly over everyone in the area, but it ended up falling to Álvaro Medrán at the back post. The finish was just as good as the cross, with the Spaniard calmly slotting it home from close range.
That’s how the scores would stay for a bit. New England did eventually jump back in front with about 15 minutes to go thanks to star man Gustavo Bou, who beat the offside trap before chipping the bouncing ball over the onrushing Slonina.
That lead wouldn’t last either, though, as Chicago found another equalizer late on. Brian Gutiérrez drove forward on the break before laying the ball off to Ignacio Aliseda, and he then did the rest, dribbling towards goal and unleashing a shot that flew by Matt Turner and into the opposite corner.
Both teams had chances late on, but neither could convert, so the points were ultimately shared.
How to watch
The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. EDT, and it will air live on WSBK myTV38 and myRITV for fans in the New England area and on WGN TV and chicagofirefc.com for fans in Chicago. Anyone else in the United States will be able to watch the action unfold on ESPN+.