After securing a draw in Friday night’s home opener, FC Cincinnati are hoping to continue momentum on Tuesday night when they play Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of kickoff:
Back to playing with a short turnaround
Only four days separate Tuesday’s match with Cincinnati’s last one: a scoreless draw against D.C. United at Nippert Stadium. Now, FCC go on the road against a Chicago side they’ll play twice in eight days.
“(Chicago is) a good team,” head coach Jaap Stam said Sunday afternoon. “They’ve got quality players. Physically, they’re strong and they want to play out and play possession at times as well. So, it’s going to be an interesting game.
"For ourselves, it’s going to be interesting going over there and playing away … Going over there now doesn’t mean we’re not going there for a result, of course.”
Keep the clean sheets coming
The Orange and Blue have now gone 300 consecutive minutes in league play without conceding, which is a club record in MLS.
While Przemysław Tytoń has played well in goal, the streak is a testament to the entire squad – not just defenders.
“I think we’ve come a long way,” Andrew Gutman said. “Last year, we leaked a lot of goals, but I wouldn’t say it’s just out backline. Our backline, midfield and forwards are connected a lot more. The spaces between lines aren’t as big, which allows us to close down defenders a lot quicker.
“We’re playing more as a unit. If one guy moves, the whole team shifts with them. We’re not playing individually like last year.”
The club conceded nine goals in its first three matches of 2020. The last three league games have all been clean sheets.
Tuesday night is a big occasion for Chicago
The matchup will be the Fire’s first game back at Soldier Field since 2006 – a return to the stadium the club has used during two previous stints.
While there’s an excitement for the team to return downtown again, there’s also a lot of old memories that come flooding back for Gutman.
“I grew up playing for the Chicago Fire in the academy, I know a lot of guys on the team and my whole family lives there,” the left back said. “It’ll be a pretty special moment for me, and especially for Chicago opening up back in Soldier Field.
"Growing up, that’s all we knew about was Chicago playing downtown at Soldier Field. So, for them to go back, it’s great for the team and the city. I’m really excited for the game on Tuesday.”
Match Info:
FC Cincinnati at Chicago Fire FC
Kickoff: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Soldier Field (no fans permitted)
Weather: Clear, 78 Degrees
TV: WSTR Star 64
In-Market Stream: fccincinnati.com/stream
Out-of-Market Stream: ESPN+
Local Radio: WDJO 99.5 FM | 107.9 FM | 1480 AM
Audio Stream: TuneIn App, fccincinnati.com
Club Connections:
- Larry Sunderland, FCC’s director of player development and FCC Academy director, held the same roles previously for Chicago.
- Andrew Gutman is a former Chicago Fire FC Academy graduate and also played with Jeremiah Gutjahr at Indiana University from 2015-18.
- Allan Cruz and Kendall Waston have both represented Costa Rica alongside Francisco Calvo. Waston and Calvo also played against each other in April’s eMLS FIFA 20 Tournament.
- Siem de Jong and Johan Kappelhof both spent time in the Ajax Amsterdam youth setup together.
- Tommy McCabe and Connor Sparrow both attended IMG Academy in 2014 and 2015.
- Haris Medunjanin played with Fabian Herbers and CJ Sapong on the Philadelphia Union in 2017 and 2018.
