The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament is back, and it returns to Soldier Field on Tuesday night.
Drawn into the third round of the competition, Chicago Fire FC will welcome USL League One side Union Omaha to the Lakefront for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff.
Tonight's match will be the Fire's first in the competition since 2019, after the last two iterations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fire have won the Open Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2003, 2006) in the Club's history, and will begin their quest for a fifth tonight. The match also marks the Fire's first-ever meeting with Union Omaha, who beat the Des Moines Menace 2-1 in the second round to advance to this evening's matchup. So far Union Omaha have two draws in USL League One play through two matches this season.
Coverage of tonight's match can be found on ESPN+ at the opening whistle. Take a look below at Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson's starting squad that will have their sights set on advancing:
- Ten members of tonight's starting XI will make their U.S. Open Cup debuts. Of the group, only starting goalkeeper Spencer Richey has appeared in the tournament before, having played twice for FC Cincinnati (of the USL at that time) in the 2018 competition. Richey will additionally wear the captain's armband for the Fire tonight.
- Four players will make their official competition debuts for the Fire first team - Richey, defender Kendall Burks, and midfielders Sergio Oregel and Missael Rodríguez.
- Defender Carlos Terán will make his first start in 2022 for the Fire first team tonight, after working his way back from a right thigh injury. Terán has started twice for Chicago Fire II in MLS Next Pro so far this season on his road to recovery.
- Terán will be joined by 2022 MLS SuperDraft pick Kendall Burks in central defense, while Jhon Espinoza and Andre Reynolds II will be deployed out wide along the back line.
- Chinonso Offor gets his first start of 2022 for the Fire first team tonight, having appeared once as a substitution for Hendrickson and twice as a starter for Chicago Fire II.
- A quartet of Fire Homegrowns will help makeup the Fire midfield, as Javier Casas Jr. and Brian Gutiérrez are accompanied by 2022 signees and first team debutantes Sergio Oregel and Missael Rodríguez.
- Forward Jhon Durán will lead the attacking line tonight, looking for his first goal of the season. Tonight will be Durán's fifth appearance for the first team so far in his debut season in Chicago, and his first appearance as a starter.
- Available to Hendrickson as substitutions tonight are goalkeeper Chris Brady, defender Rafael Czichos, defender Miguel Navarro, midfielder Federico Navarro, midfielder Stanislav Ivanov, forward Victor Bezerra, and forward Kacper Przybyłko
- Forward Fabian Herbers (right hip) and midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (left calf) are unavailable for selection tonight due to injury.
Get a look at Union Omaha's starting lineup below as it becomes available:
