CHICAGO (Sept. 11, 2020) – Chicago Fire FC and Major League Soccer today announced the Club’s 2020 regular season schedule and broadcast details through the end of September, as well as the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs qualification and competition format.
Chicago will face Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, before hosting the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, Sept. 23 and Atlanta United FC on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Soldier Field.
Each of these games will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on WGN-TV and ESPN+ and transmitted locally in Spanish on Univision Radio. The pregame show, presented by CIBC, will begin at 6:15 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
The schedule for the team’s first three games in phase two is below:
<p>Date</p> |
<p>Opponent</p> |
<p>Time</p> |
<p>Broadcast</p> |
<p>Saturday, Sept. 19</p> |
<p>at Orlando City SC</p> |
<p>6:30 p.m. CT</p> |
<p>WGN-TV, ESPN+, 105.1 WOJO-HD2</p> |
<strong>Wednesday, Sept. 23</strong> |
<strong>Houston Dynamo</strong> |
<strong>6:30 p.m. CT</strong> |
<strong>WGN-TV, ESPN+, TUDN 1200AM</strong> |
<strong>Sunday, Sept. 27</strong> |
<strong>Atlanta United FC</strong> |
<strong>6:30 p.m. CT</strong> |
<strong>WGN-TV, ESPN+, TUDN 1200AM</strong> |
The remainder of the Fire’s 2020 regular season schedule will be announced at a later date, pending further developments regarding travel protocols.
As with the MLS is Back Tournament and phase one of the return to play, the Fire will adhere to comprehensive health and safety protocols, including regular testing of players, coaches and essential staff for COVID-19.
In addition to announcing regular season match details through September, MLS also today confirmed qualification details and the competition format for the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will again consist of single-elimination matches hosted by the higher-seeded team and follow a straight bracket format through MLS Cup on Dec.12.
As previously announced, in an expansion of the postseason for 2020, 18 clubs will compete in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. Eight teams from the 12-team Western Conference will qualify directly to Round 1. The top six seeds from the 14-team Eastern Conference will qualify directly to Round 1. Eastern Conference seeds 7-10 will each compete in a play-in match (No. 7 vs. No. 10, and No. 8 vs. No. 9) to determine the two additional Eastern Conference teams that will qualify for the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs Round 1.
The lower-seeded advancing team will face the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed in Round 1, while the higher-seeded advancing team will face the Eastern Conference No. 2 seed. The Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
