CHICAGO (April 9, 2023) - Chicago Fire FC II will play the second leg of a three-match homestand against defending Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday, April 9 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. The Fire will look to extend a season-opening two-game winning streak against the Crew, which won the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Cup in 2022. First kick is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and the match can be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com.
The Fire (2-0-0-0) enters Sunday’s match with high expectations following a 2-0 victory against Toronto FC II on Friday, March 31. The match was highly contested from the start before seemingly taking a turn for the worse in the 39th minute for Chicago, when defender Henrique Gallina was shown a red card. Despite playing a man down, the team rallied and took the lead in the 55th minute off a set piece header by Eric Leonard. Charlie Ostrem followed up only three minutes later with his first goal for Chicago Fire FC II. Although the Fire conceded possession, it dominated in attacking categories like shots and expected goals, even creating 10 shots on target to Toronto’s nil.
Columbus (0-0-1-1) is coming off a bye in Matchday 2, but it opened up the season with a dramatic shootout victory at New York Red Bulls II. The hosts took an early lead in the seventh minute and held on through much of regulation time. In stoppage time, however, Columbus showed the resilience that carried it to a title in 2022. With only seconds left, the Crew won a corner kick taken by Aidan Wolf. His kick curled toward the near post, where Abdi Mohamed headed it home. Although Mohamed missed the opening kick of an ensuing shootout, his teammates had his back to win it 3-2 and take home a second point.
KEYS TO THE MATCH
Oh My Ostrem! Charlie Ostrem played a significant part of the 2022 Chicago Fire FC II squad, finishing third in minutes with 1704 in 20 appearances. However, none of those minutes saw him score a goal; for nearly an hour on Friday, that story continued. But that all of that changed when Toronto ‘keeper Luka Gavran spilled a free kick from Omari Glasgow. After being advised to “follow the ball up” from his coaches in training, Ostrem did just that – putting the match away and scoring his first professional goal along the way.
#GlasGoal Returns. Omari Glasgow made his 2023 debut on Friday, having missed the opening match due to national team duty with Guyana. Glasgow left a strong impression in 2022, scoring five goals and leaving many defenders stranded behind in his path. Although he did not score against Toronto, his presence could be felt by both sides, providing a safety valve for his teammates from which to counter, while terrorizing defenders with his blazing speed. He will look to get on the board sooner rather than later and leave social media buzzing with his performances.
Reynolds Wrap. Chicago Fire FC Homegrown Justin Reynolds has played all but three minutes of the short season at right back. The Chicago native has proved his worth both on defense and on the attack. He has won nearly 65% of his defensive duels, one of the best marks on the team. He also has a sterling passing accuracy of over 80 percent, be it while playing out from the back or during a bombing run up the field. Modern fullbacks have dual responsibilities, and Reynolds has certainly exceeded them.
HOW TO WATCH
Chicago Fire FC II will play the second leg of a three-game homestand against Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday, April 9 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. Gates will open at 5 p.m. and match entry and parking are free. First kick is set for 6 p.m. CT and can be streamed live on MLSNEXTPro.com.
