Fire go on the road to enter historic U.S. Open Cup in Fourth Round at Saint Louis FC

The chase for No. 5 resumes. 

The Chicago Fire, four-time champions of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, enter the 2017 edition of the historic tournament Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. CT) with a trip down I-55 to USL side Saint Louis FC. The Fourth Round matchup is one of 16 on this week's docket across the country and will stream live online, and the Fire -- arguably the hottest team in Major League Soccer at the moment -- are hoping it's the start of another deep run in the event. 

There's no shortage of storylines surrounding the Fire's Open Cup opener this year, most notably its pairing against the club's former USL affiliate side and Chicago's first Open Cup road trip prior to a semifinal since 2014. But the one with the most direct impact on the outcome Wednesday will be Veljko Paunovic's squad decisions and what if any new faces enter the Starting XI, particularly with a weekend trip to New England looming for the Men In Red. 

But make no mistake: Paunovic is heading to Fenton with every intention of jumpstarting a lengthy stay in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. 

"It's very important for our club, our tradition," Paunovic said. "We won the Open Cup several times so it's very important for us and for our fans. As we are competitive people in the locker room, we want to win everything we have. This competition is something that motivates us a lot, because of all these reasons but because it's a great opportunity for us to win another title. But we have to understand that it's not going to be easy."

While focus understandably jumps to potential opportunities for the youngest members of the squad -- like 2017 SuperDraft picks Daniel Johnson and Brandt Bronico or Homegrown midfielder Djordje Mihailovic -- who've shown strong flashes early in their Fire careers, Wednesday could also see the re-introduction of proven vets. Dax McCarty may benefit from getting a match under his belt following his time with the U.S. Men's National Team, Arturo Alvarez could bring fresh legs to the attack, and Jonathan Campbell is a candidate to spell either Johan Kappelhof or Joao Meira at centerback -- all while keeping Chicago's side playing at a high level. 

Other potential players to be called upon are defender Patrick Doody and the versatile Drew Conner, both of whom spent extended time wearing the Saint Louis FC badge on USL loan spells in recent seasons. Doody and Conner know full well the level of competition and the passionate fanbase awaiting the Fire in Fenton. 

"I have a lot of positive memories with Saint Louis FC," Conner said of Wednesday's opponent, which reached the Fourth Round thanks to wins over FC Wichita (NPSL) and the Michigan Bucks (PDL). "It’s a new team this year, but there’s still some guys from last year. The fans are great. I’ll likely say hi to some of them either before or after the game. I was telling these guys in the locker room today that it’s a cool atmosphere and it’s a cool place to play."

During two loan stints in St. Louis both in his rookie season in 2015 and in the summer of 2016, Doody became a favorite among supporters, and even had a fan club -- The Doody Crew -- dedicated to him. 

"The whole time I was with St. Louis I was of course (part of) the Fire, but they really made me feel like I was a part of their team," Doody said. "Wednesday we’re on a mission to win the game and 100 percent I think we’re going to put in a good performance, but seeing some familiar faces will certainly be special."

Although the game against Saint Louis FC will be a first meeting for the two clubs, Chicago has U.S. Open Cup history in the state of Missouri, having contested the 2004 final against the then-Kansas City Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium. That match ended in 1-0 defeat for the Men In Red, who have played in a record 12 Open Cup semifinals, including four of the last five, but are ready to put recent disappointments in that round behind them.  

"We have to prepare well for this game, respect obviously our opponent, who is one of the teams we had a relationship with in the past," Paunovic said. "Like everything in professional soccer, you have to be always at your best in order to win."

2017 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP SCHEDULE

Fourth Round