It's a beautiful afternoon along the lakefront as Chicago Fire FC have returned home to welcome the Philadelphia Union for a 12 p.m. CT kickoff at Soldier Field.
Both teams enter the match looking for their first win in 2021 MLS regular season play, making Saturday's contest a big opportunity for both Fire head coach Raphael Wicky and his counterpart Jim Curtin. The Fire will want to rebound from a 3-1 defeat on the road last weekend in Atlanta, while Curtin's Union side will attempt to turn some of the magic they've captured in Concacaf Champions League play recently into a result away from home.
Ahead of the opening whistle on WGN-TV, CFFC Live, and TUDN 1200 AM, get the scoop on Wicky's opening XI in the lineup notes below:
- Two changes have been made from last week's starting XI at the New York Red Bulls.
- Defender Wyatt Omsberg and midfielder Elliot Collier receive their first respective starts of the Fire's 2021 campaign. Collier returned from an ankle injury last weekend at the New York Red Bulls, making a 29-minute appearance as a substitute. This will be Omsberg's first appearance of the season.
- Midfielder Luka StojanoviÄ will look to add to his team-leading pair of goals scored this season, receiving his fourth-straight start in midfield.
- Rounding out the Fire attack today are forward Robert BeriÄ and midfielder PrzemysĆaw Frankowski, who each receive their fourth-consecutive starts in 2021 as well.
- Omsberg's inclusion is the only change along the backline, as captain Francisco Calvo and fullbacks Jonathan Bornstein and Boris SekuliÄ slot into their usual places in defense.
- Johan Kappelhof earns his team-leading 132nd Fire appearance as part of today's opening XI.
- Gastón Giménez gets his fourth start of the season in midfield.
- Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth gets the 202nd start of his MLS career today in net.
- Available to Wicky as substitutions today are goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, defender Jhon Espinoza, defender Miguel Navarro, midfielder/defender Mauricio Pineda, midfielder Javier Casas Jr., midfielder Brian Gutiérrez, midfielder Alvaro Medrån, midfielder Alex Monis, and forward Chinonso Offor.
- Midfielder Fabian Herbers (right knee), midfielder Stanislav Ivanov (left knee), midfielder Ignacio Aliseda (left thigh), defender Carlos Teran (left thigh), defender Nick Slonina (health and safety protocols) and goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm (right knee) are out for tonight's match.
Get a look at both team's starting lineups as they're available in the graphics below:
