The Chicago Fire are back on the road this weekend for a Saturday trip to Canada to take on reigning MLS Cup champions Toronto FC (2 p.m. CT, ESPN+). Here's a rundown of some of the storylines surrounding the weekend matchup:
Concacaf'd
How head coach Greg Vanney and his side respond to Wednesday night’s defeat to Chivas de Guadalajara in the 2018 Concacaf Champions League final will be a significant plot point heading into Saturday’s match.
After storming back from a 2-1 deficit in the final’s first leg, the reigning MLS Champions rode goals from Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco to a 2-1 regular time finish at Estadio Akron and a 3-3 score on aggregate. A grueling tournament run that began in late February and included knockout round home-and-away series wins over Liga MX powerhouses Tigres and Club America would then be decided by penalty kicks, where the Canadian side ultimately fell 4-2 to their Mexican counterparts.
Having put full effort into trying to obtain the regional crown, a quick turnaround into Saturday’s matchup at BMO Field will represent a test both physically and mentally for a heavily worked Toronto side and could lead to the absence of several TFC regulars.
The Regular Season Resumes
With an emphasis on playing their strongest side in CCL play, Toronto FC have rotated their squad heavily throughout their first five MLS matches, leaning heavily on reserves en route to a 1-4-0 start to the 2018 regular season. As a result, the Canadian side currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference standings with three points and a -7 goal differential entering the weekend. Saturday’s matchup is a fresh start of sorts for Vanney and co. with full focus returning to climbing the conference table.
Smash and Grab
For a second consecutive week, the Fire will play an Eastern Conference road match against a team coming out of CCL play. Picking up wins on the road in MLS is tough across the board, but head coach Veljko Paunovic will have a blueprint for how his current side can do just that after swiping a full three points at Red Bull Arena last weekend. The Fire conceded both possession and shot totals to the hosts, but were stout defensively (looking at you, Richard Sanchez) and clinical with their opportunities on the offensive end. An Aleksandar Katai stunner and a Nemanja Nikolic penalty kick saw the Fire through in a 2-1 victory that gave the club its first road win of 2018.
Injury Update
Both of these sides have been plagued by an early season bout with the injury bug, especially along the back line. While the Fire have begun a return to health – centerbacks Grant Lillard and Jonathan Campbell have each returned from preseason knocks in recent weeks – they’ll still be without the services of Luis Solignac (quad strain) and Matt Polster (knee), among others. For Toronto, the list is even longer. Defenders Nick Hagglund (hamstring, out), Chris Mavinga (abdominal discomfort, questionable), Gregory van der Wiel (Achilles, questionable), Justin Morrow (calf, questionable), and Drew Moor (undisclosed, questionable) all feature on the injury list for Saturday. For the full injury report, click here.
Recent History
The Fire are 9-9-8 all-time in regular season meetings against Toronto FC, including a 4-7-3 record in matches played at BMO Field. A pair of meetings in 2017 resulted in a pair of 3-1 victories for the Canadian side in matches played at both Toyota Park and BMO Field.
Two current Fire players spent time with Toronto FC in 2011. Forward Alan Gordon scored four goals and added one assist in eight matches before departing for San Jose in July. Midfielder Tony Tchani scored one goal in 13 appearances before he was traded to Columbus Crew SC in July.
