Chicago plays the second game of a three-game homestand against Atlanta United FC. Kickoff against the Five Stripes is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass. The match will also be transmitted locally in Chicago via wlsam.com in English and WRTO 1200 AM in Spanish.
Atlanta is currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, tied on 11 points with New York City FC, Charlotte FC and CF Montréal. Gonzalo Pineda’s squad is looking for their first victory since they hosted the Fire on Sunday, March 31. Despite a goal from Thiago Almada, Atlanta’s most recent match ended in a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Earlier in the evening, Chicago Fire goalkeeper coach Zach Thornton was inducted into the Club’s Ring of Fire. Thornton was a member of every Chicago Fire major championship along with former defender CJ Brown and former midfielder Chris Armas. Thornton became the ninth member and the first goalkeeper inducted into the Ring of Fire.
- Chicago Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas made four changes to the lineup that faced Real Salt Lake at Soldier Field last Saturday.
- Fabian Herbers will wear the armband against Atlanta United.
- Andrew Gutman returns from injury and to the starting lineup for the first time since the team’s season-opening match against the Philadelphia Union.
- Georgios Koutsias makes his first start of the 2024 regular season for the Fire, participating in his eighth match of the season.
- Tobias Salquist returns to the starting lineup after completion of concussion protocol.
- Allan Arigoni, Rafael Czichos and Hugo Cuypers start their 10th consecutive match of the season together. Czichos is the only player to have played the full 90 minutes in the Fire’s nine previous matches.
- Goalkeeper Chris Brady makes his ninth straight start of the season in the net, having only missed one game due to international duty.
- Chris Mueller will start his fourth straight match, while Kellyn Acosta and Fabian Herbers start their ninth game together this season.
- Mauricio Pineda will play from the outset, marking his fourth start of the season.
- Javier Casas Jr. (lower leg), Chase Gasper (upper leg), Gastón Giménez (upper leg), Maren Haile-Selassie (lower leg), and Xherdan Shaqiri (lower leg) are unavailable for today’s match.
- Available off the bench for Coach Klopas are goalkeeper Spencer Richey, Carlos Terán, Wyatt Omsberg, Jonathan Dean, Arnaud Souquet, Brian Gutiérrez and Tom Barlow.
