The Chicago Fire return home Saturday night for their first ever meeting with expansion side FC Cincinnati in MLS regular season play. Head coach Veljko PaunoviÄ has made two changes to his squad that took on Sporting Kansas City last Saturday as the Fire look to extend a home unbeaten run that has stretched to eight games.
Get all the info on tonight's Starting XI presented by AT&T below tune in when #CHIvCIN kicks off at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+:
- Fire captain Dax McCarty gets his 21st start of the year, earning his 350th career MLS regular season appearance. McCarty's 350 appearances are the 13th most in league history, and rank fifth among active MLS players. The 32-year-old remains the only Fire player to start every match for the Club in 2019.
- After missing four matches with a thigh injury, Johan Kappelhof is back in the starting XI. The four-game injured stretch was the longest absence of Kappelhof's Fire career.
- Midfielder Djordje MihailoviÄ is available for selection off the bench having returned from a run to the final of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup with the U.S. Men's National Team. MihailoviÄ's last appearance for the Fire came on June 1 at Atlanta United FC.
- Forward CJ Sapong will look to add to his team-leading total of eight goals as he makes his 195th MLS regular season start.
- Brandt Bronico and Fabian Herbers continue to feature in PaunoviÄ's first XI, each starting their fifth-straight match.
- Defender Jorge Corrales returns to the starting XI after missing last Saturday's match with a thigh injury.
- Francisco Calvo will make his 70th MLS appearance, his 10th for the Fire since joining the Club in May.
- Bastian Schweinsteiger is unavailable for selection tonight while serving a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
View the full Starting XI and bench for both sides in the graphics below as they're available:
