The Chicago Fire are in Orlando for their final match of 2019, as they prepare to take on Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. CT | ESPN+). The meeting marks the 2019 regular season coming full circle, as the two sides last met in the Fire's 2019 home opener -- a 1-1- draw at SeatGeek Stadium -- back in March.
With kickoff upcoming, get a look at head coach Veljko PaunoviÄ's final starting XI and bench of the season, presented by AT&T:
- One change has been made to the opening eleven from last weekend's 2-2 home draw against Toronto FC.
- Aleksandar Katai returns to the starting XI after scoring his fifth goal of the season in the Fire's draw with Toronto FC. He'll wrap the 2019 campaign with 23 starts and 28 appearances.
- Forwards Nemanja NikoliÄ and CJ Sapong will look to get on the scoresheet and claim the honor of being the Club's top scorer in 2019, both level at 12 goals entering Sunday afternoon. Sapong scored in the Fire's home opener against Orlando on March 9 -- securing a point with a 95th minute equalizer -- and will start this afternoon. NikoliÄ will be available for selection off the bench.
- Captain Dax McCarty gets his 32nd start of the campaign, the team-high in 2019. He and Sapong (32) will share the team lead in overall appearances.
- Midfielder Brandt Bronicowill finish 2019 with career highs in single-season starts (20) and appearances (29) in wrapping up his third year with the Fire.
- NicolĂĄs Gaitan will wrap up a sterling debut season for the Fire as part of tonight's starting XI. GaitĂĄn leads the team with 12 assists, and his 62 chances created in 26 matches played are the second-most in a season since Opta began tracking the statistic in 2009. He can surpass Harry Shipp today, who created 64 chances in 33 matches in 2014.
- PrzemysĆaw Frankowski has a chance to hit double-digit assists this afternoon after notching his ninth of the season in last weekend's draw against Toronto. He gets his 24th start of the year (31st appearance) today.
- Kenneth Kronholm ends the 2019 season with an even 20 appearances in his 20th start. In a late-season run of form, Kronholm and the Fire defense have kept five clean sheets in their last 10 matches.
- Bastian Schweinsteiger makes his 85th Fire appearance in his 30th start of the season.
- Defenders Jonathan Bornstein, Francisco Calvo, and Johan Kappelhof will will join Schweinsteiger along the defensive backline looking to slow down the Orlando attack and help the Fire end the season on a five-match unbeaten run.
- Bornstein (questionable, back) was the only Fire player listed on the injury report entering the match. For the full MLS injury report, click here.
View the full Starting XI and bench for both sides in the graphics below as they're available:
