CHICAGO (Aug.12, 2022) - Chicago Fire FC II will head to the Bay State to face New England Revolution II in the final leg of the Fire’s three-game road trip this Sunday, August 14. The Fire will look for a repeat of the last time they played New England, when Victor Bezerra scored a brace in a 4-3 victory at SeatGeek Stadium. First kick at Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT and can be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com.
The Fire (4-9-5-2, 19 points) look to bounce back from a 2-1 road loss to St. Louis CITY2 in Southern Illinois, where the hosts scored two unanswered goals for the victory. Chicago’s lone goal of the match came from a hot Missael Rodríguez, who also scored the team’s only goal in their previous match against Rochester. Chris Brady will also continue his recent strong run of starts at goal following a golden glove performance at the U-20 Concacaf Championship earlier this summer.
New England (7-7-4-1, 26 points) currently sits in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, one spot above Chicago. The Revs head back to Foxboro looking for a rebound of their own, following a 4-2 loss on the road against Inter Miami CF II in which forward Marcos Dias tallied a team-leading sixth goal of the season. New England recently announced the signing of Brazilian forward Weverton de Sousa Santos, who joins the team after five appearances and a goal with Brazilian side C.R. Flamengo’s U-20 team.
KEYS TO THE MATCH
The Missa Magic continues. Rodríguez has been highly touted for his offensive prowess since earning the Golden Boot at the 2021 MLS NEXT Cup in Frisco, Texas. He’s been putting on a full display of those skills as of late after notching his fourth goal of the season last Saturday in Southern Illinois, his second in two matches. The versatile forward has played on both wings and at center forward throughout the season and will be a headache for opposing defenses trying to keep track of his movement off the ball.
The kids are alright. This past weekend, Chicago Fire FC II saw the professional debuts of Carlos Nevarez and Michael Nesci. The two Chicago Fire Academy graduates are just the latest of a wave of prospects making their appearances in senior competitions like MLS NEXT Pro. The Academy continues to develop promising, young talent that is prepared to contribute to the club sooner rather than later.
New kids on the block. The Fire recently welcomed Salvadoran midfielder Harold Osorio to the Club. As Chicago Fire II sees some players depart for college, Osorio comes in with international pedigree to shore up the midfield and link up well with the remaining players. Osorio comes with professional experience at Alianza Fútbol Club of El Salvador, as well as the leadership profile as captain of the U-20 El Salvador men’s national team.
HOW TO WATCH
Chicago Fire FC II conclude their three-game road trip Sunday, August 14 against New England Revolution II in Foxborough, Mass. First kick at Gillette Stadium is set for 4 p.m. CT. The match can be streamed live on MLSNEXTPro.com.
