MATCH INFO |
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|---|---|
<strong>Matchup</strong> |
Chicago Fire (4-11-7, 19 pts.) at Montreal Impact (8-6-9, 33 pts.) |
<strong>Date</strong> |
Saturday, August 20 • 6:30 p.m. CT |
<strong>Location</strong> |
Montreal, Quebec, Can. • Stade Saputo |
<strong>TV</strong> |
CSN Chicago Plus (Pregame: 6 p.m.) |
<strong>Radio (Spanish)</strong> |
97.5 FM Poder |
<strong>Fire Field Vision</strong> |
<a href="//www.chicago-fire.com/post/2016/08/18/fire-field-vision-powered-novacare-mtlvchi?autoplay=true"><b>Watch</b></a> |
Another road opportunity lies in front of the Chicago Fire this weekend, as they travel to Montreal for an Eastern Conference matchup Saturday night. Match coverage begins at 6 p.m. CT on CSN Chicago Plus with kickoff to follow at 6:30 p.m. The Fire will be looking to make a dent in the conference standings and pick up a full three points on their only trip to Montreal this season. We've got five storylines to keep an eye on ahead of this weekend's clash in Canada:
Going for three
The Fire are back on the road this weekend after a late Razvan Cocis equalizer saw them split points with Orlando City SC at home in a 2-2 draw last weekend. Head coach Veljko Paunovic and his men will be looking to use that come-from-behind momentum to claim their first three road points of 2016. Meanwhile, Montreal is on the rebound from a 3-1 loss in New York at the hands of the Red Bulls. The Impact will welcome the opportunity to host this weekend. As it stands, they’re 6-2-3 within the confines of Stade Saputo so far this season, which includes wins in three of their last four home matches in league play.
These two teams already met earlier this season in a mid-April contest at Toyota Park. Montreal took the full share of the points in that match courtesy of a late Ignacio Piatti finish from distance in a 2-1 win.
Hot halves
A big factor in the ultimate result of Saturday night’s contest will be how quickly both of these sides get up-to-speed as the second half kicks off. Montreal’s ability to score quickly in the second half has been unmatched league-wide so far this season, as their 11 goals between minutes 45-60 is far-and-away the league high in the category. This is additionally a big factor in the Impact’s ability to pull results out of situations in which they start behind. Of all teams that have trailed at the break more than once this season, Montreal is the only side in MLS with a winning percentage above .400 (.429 with a record of 2-3-2). The Fire would do well to keep their foot on the proverbial gas should they get out to an early lead on Saturday night.
Campbell's quiet conquest
Rookie centerback Jonathan Campbell’s steady play along the backline has been one of the bright sides of the Fire’s 2016 campaign so far. After being selected 12th overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, Campbell immediately became a regular defensive presence and has fans of the team optimistic about the tandem that he and fellow first-year MLS man Johan Kappelhof have formed.
What’s been less publicized, however, is just how high Campbell has climbed from a statistical standpoint through two-thirds of the MLS season. An emerging trend among analysts is tracking the clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI) that defenders make as a way of quantifying their performance. As it stands, Campbell ranks in the top-10 (or higher) league-wide in all three categories. His 96 defensive clearances represent the 10th-highest total in the league, his 19 blocks the third-highest and his 73 interceptions are the fifth-highest (tied with Kappelhof).
A name for himself
While any meeting with Montreal typically stirs conversation around names like Piatti, Belgian international Laurent Ciman and of course Didier Drogba -- rightfully so, given his five goals in three appearances against the Men In Red -- recent acquisition Matteo Mancosu has quietly been making his presence felt since joining up with the team in July. The 31-year-old Italian forward was brought in on loan from from Serie A’s Bologna, and has become a steady contributor since his debut against NYCFC on July 17. Mancosu is riding a streak of four straight games with either a goal or an assist to his name, which includes the game-winning finish in a 1-0 victory against Houston on August 6.
#MTLvCHI all-time
Montreal owns the all-time series with the Fire, having compiled a record of 5-3-4 since their inception into the league in 2012. Should the Fire pull off three points on Saturday night, it would mark their first-ever win at Stade Saputo.
Additionally, there will be couple Fire connections on the opposing bench come this weekend. Impact forward Dominic Oduro played with Chicago in 2011-12 and is a regular contributor up top alongside Didier Drogba, while Fire Homegrown Harry Shipp also has settled into his new side following his preseason trade in February. The pair have combined for 42 appearances for Montreal so far this season.
