After wrapping up a three-match homestand with a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls last weekend, the Chicago Fire are back on the road this Saturday afternoon for an Eastern Conference contest against Toronto FC.
Kickoff from BMO Field is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, with coverage on ESPN+ and Univision Radio 93.5 Latino Mix. Get ready for Saturdayâs road trip with this weekâs Match Storylines powered by NovaCare:
Form Guide
Toronto FC (3-0-0, 9 points) enter Saturdayâs meeting on the heels of three straight wins to start their 2019 campaign, including a 4-0 rout of New York City FC last Friday. The nine points earned have head coach Greg Vanneyâs men sitting in third place in the early Eastern Conference standings, a far cry from the club's disappointing 2018 that saw them finish 14 points out of the playoff race. Jozy Altidore heads into the match on form, with a goal in each of his two 2019 appearances to date.
The Fire (1-2-1, 4 points) are back on the road for the first time since their 2019 season opener at the LA Galaxy on March 2. After the promising 2019 debuts of both Mo Adams and Jeremiah Gutjahr helped spur them to three points on Saturday, the Fire are looking to spin that 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls into their first winning streak of 2019 come Saturday afternoon.
Big Additions
Both sides featured notable midfield debuts in their latest outings. After a stop in Argentina, Chicagoâs NicolĂĄs GaitĂĄn arrived from Chinese club Dalian Yafang last Thursday and made his first Fire appearance as a second half substitution, entering for Aleksandar Katai in the 68th minute of Saturdayâs win.
For Toronto, Spanish Designated Player Alejandro Pozuelo was unveiled by the club last Monday, March 25, after signing with the Canadian side on March 4 from KRC Genk of the Belgian Pro League. Pozuelo made a splash in his debut four days later, earning a start in central midfield and scoring a pair of stylish second-half goals to help sink NYCFC.
Club Connections
Chicago Fire defender Raheem Edwards began his professional career as a member of Toronto FC II in 2015, before joining the first team in 2016. He scored one goal and tallied six assists in 21 league appearances during Torontoâs MLS Cup-winning campaign in 2017. Edwards will be unavailable for Saturdayâs match after suffering a second degree lateral collateral ligament sprain.
Toronto FC goalkeeper coach Jon Conway made six regular season appearances for the Fire in net in 2011.
Last Time in Toronto
The Fireâs first visit to Toronto in 2018 was a memorable one. Alan Gordon scored a vintage late goal to level the score at 2-2 and help steal a road point for the Fire in late April. The Fire were then defeated 3-0 in a second trip to Canada on July 28.
The Fire are 4-8-4 all-time in matches played at BMO Field, and 9-11-9 against Toronto FC overall since they entered the league in 2007.
