Chicago Fire FC enters the third round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament on Wednesday night against local Midwest Premier League side Chicago House AC.
This will be the Fire's first match of the 2023 competition, while Chicago House enters tonight's match on the strength of a 1-0 first round win against United Premier Soccer League team Bavarian United SC, and a 3-2 extra time upset of USL League One side Forward Madison FC in round two.
The Fire have a storied history in the U.S. Open Cup, having won four trophies in Club history in the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 editions of the tournament. Chicago’s four titles are tied with Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting KC for the most championships won by an MLS team, and the second-most in the history of the tournament.
Watch a live stream of tonight's match for free right here on chicagofirefc.com by clicking here when the opening whistle blows from SeatGeek Stadium at 7 p.m. CT, and read up on how Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson will deploy his squad in the lineup notes below:
- Three players will make their first starts of the season for the Fire first team tonight in Alonso Aceves, Alex Monis, and Wyatt Omsberg.
- After arriving on loan from Liga MX side C.F. Pachuca in mid-March, Aceves has appeared twice as a substitution for the Fire in MLS regular season play, and has started three times for Chicago Fire II in MLS Next Pro.
- Monis makes his first-ever start for the Fire first team, having appeared three times as a substitution in his career. The Homegrown product and Downers Grove native is a regular for Chicago Fire II, with four starts in MLS Next Pro so far this season.
- Defender Wyatt Omsberg gets his first start for the first team since June 18 of 2022, when he suffered a foot injury against D.C. United that sidelined him for the rest of last season. Omsberg has worked his way back to fitness, having started three times for Chicago Fire II in MLS Next Pro, and appearing as a substitute for the Fire against Minnesota on April 8. Omsberg will partner with Kendall Burks in central defense this evening.
- First team regulars Miguel Navarro and Jonathan Dean will hold down the fullback positions tonight as part of the Fire's defensive back line alongside Omsberg and Burks.
- Federico Navarro is a welcome return to the midfield tonight, having missed six-straight matches for the Fire with a left upper leg injury suffered in the team's opening match of the 2023 season against New York City FC on March 4. Navarro made his return in the second half of the team's match at Atlanta United on Sunday, appearing as a second half substitute. Navarro and Mauricio Pineda will hold things down in deep-lying midfield against the House tonight.
- 2023 newcomer Maren Haile-Selassie gets his first taste of U.S. Open Cup action tonight as part of the starting XI in midfield.
- Kacper Przybyłko will lead the attacking line this evening from the forward position.
- Goalkeeper Spencer Richey starts and will wear the captain's armband tonight as the Fire's most experienced player in the Open Cup competition. Richey has appeared in the tournament three times across his career with the Fire and with FC Cincinnati.
- Available to Hendrickson as substitutions tonight are goalkeeper Jeff Gal, defender Rafael Czichos, midfielder Javier Casas Jr., midfielder Gastón Giménez, midfielder Sergio Oregel Jr., forward Georgios Koutsias, and forward Missael RodrÃguez.
- Midfielder Jairo Torres (right upper leg), midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (right upper leg), and forward Victor Bezerra (left upper leg) are unavailable for selection due to injury tonight.
Take a look at how Chicago House AC will start below as their lineup becomes available:
