With the Chicago Fire in the midst of an early season three-match road swing, trips to New York and Los Angeles over the next two weekends are likely feature a notable subplot for a pair of the team’s most notable offseason additions.
First up, midfielder Dax McCarty will make his first appearance as a visitor at Red Bull Arena since his January trade to Chicago when the Fire take on the Red Bulls on Saturday (April 29, 6:30 pm CT, CSN Chicago). McCarty was a fixture in midfield and a leader within the side for RBNY’s two Supporters’ Shield-winning campaigns in 2013 and 2015.
Here's a look by the numbers at how McCarty fared at Red Bull Arena as a member of the home side:
- 89 total home appearances (MLS regular season)
- Nine goals
- 16 assists
- 7,555 minutes played
- Won 2013 Supporters Shield with a league-high 11 home wins at Red Bull Arena
- Won 2015 Supporters Shield with 12 home wins, second only to FC Dallas’ 13
One week later and nearly 3,000 miles to the southwest, it’ll be midfielder Juninho making a return to Carson, Calif. when the Fire visit the LA Galaxy (May 6, 9:30 pm, CSN Chicago), with whom he played from 2010-15. Juninho was a central figure in a dominant Galaxy run over the better part of five seasons, from which the hardware speaks for itself.
Juninho by the numbers at Home Depot/StubHub Center (2010-15):
- 95 total home appearances with the Galaxy (MLS regular season)
- 13 goals
- 14 assists
- 8,054 minutes played
- Won 2011 MLS Cup 1-0 over Houston at (what was then) Home Depot Center on Nov. 20, 2011
- Won 2012 MLS Cup 3-1 over Houston at Home Depot Center on Dec. 1, 2012
- Won 2014 MLS Cup 2-1 over New England at StubHub Center on Dec. 7, 2014
- Won the 2011 Supporters’ Shield with a league-high 12 wins at home
Certainly, the only number on the minds of both these league vets during these trips will be 3, as in earning 3 points for the club they now call their own. Stay tuned to Chicago-Fire.com for complete coverage of both matches as the Fire look to navigate their challenging stint away from Toyota Park prior to returning to their home ground on Saturday, May 13 to host reigning MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders FC (8 p.m. | TICKETS).
