Atlanta United will travel to Soldier Field in search of its first win since beating – get this – the Chicago Fire 3-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
A win this weekend would mean a lot of things. It would be the first road win of 2024, the end of a three-game winless streak and a sigh of relief for Tommy who gets to keep his beard.
The Five Stripes need to make up for five points dropped in the past two home games, and what better chance than against an out-of-form Fire side that will be missing multiple players?
Players to Watch
The Fire’s top assister of 2023 is off to a good start this season. Brian Gutierrez leads Chicago’s scoring charts in 2024 with three goals and an assist. He is usually relegated to one of the wings, which limits his creative freedom, but with Xherdan Shaqiri in doubt for the match, he could see time at the No. 10 where he is strongest.
Midfielder Fabian Herbers is tied with Gutierrez for the Fire’s top contributor this year with two goals and two assists. Although he hasn’t made the scoresheet since the Five Stripes’ last encounter with Chicago, he has found other ways of making an impact. He leads his team in key passes (13), expected assisted goals (2.1) and shot-creating actions (21).
Finally, there’s a chance the Five Stripes run into an old friend. According to journalist Joe Chatz, former Atlanta United left back Andrew Gutman should be involved in the match against his former club.
Although an injury in the season opener has significantly limited his minutes this season, Atlanta United fans won’t forget his ability to attack down the flanks and defend with vigor. With three goals and two assists for the Five Stripes last season, he is more than capable of creating chances.
The Stats
The History
Atlanta United carry a 8-4-2 lead in the all-time series against Chicago. When on the road, The Five Stripes lose their dominance with a 1-4-2 record. The only time Atlanta United earned three points at Chicago Fire was a 2-1 win on May 5, 2018 with goals from Josef Martinez and Ezequiel Barco.
Availability Reports
Chicago Fire
Questionable:
- Xherdan Shaqiri
Out:
- Gaston Gimenez
- Federico Navarro
- Maren Haile-Selassie – leg
- Chase Gasper – leg
Atlanta United
Questionable:
- Stian Gregersen – knee
Out:
- Xande Silva – adductor
- Jamal Thiaré – hamstring
- Derrick Williams – calf
Predicted Lineups
Chicago Fire
Atlanta United
Score Predictions
Jackson (7 points): 2-0 Atlanta
Tommy (7 points): 3-1 Atlanta
Sydney (5 points): 1-0 Atlanta
Calum (5 points): 2-1 Chicago
Henry (4 points): 2-1 Atlanta
Grey (4 points): 2-1 Atlanta
Tyler (4 points): 2-1 Atlanta
Time for your predictions! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
[…] Match Preview: Chicago Fire vs Atlanta United […]
I think we should be fine and pull out a W, but I’d like for it to be of the convincing variety
We HAVE to be able to beat terrible teams away.
As a wise man basically once said: “If you’re nothing without the homefieldadvantage, you don’t deserve to have it”
Even though is still early in the season, to me, this is a must win game. No excuses. Pineda has to show he’s got balls.
i think we pull out a win as long as Hernandez doesn’t end up playing CB at any point in the match
We need to add someone at left wing. Silva did well right when we got him last year, but I haven’t been too impressed with him this year. Maybe if he can stay healthy he will get back in good form. Mosquera and Wolff do well when they come in late as a sub (if you can ignore one terrible pass), but I don’t think either one work as a starter when Silva is out.
Yeah, Mosquera is generally a great option off the bench, particularly if we are chasing a goal. My fear in starting him is the mistakes like that horrific pass that led to a goal become more apparent in a longer shift. Wolff seems worse this year than last year. Still, he’s just a 125k/yr guy. I don’t expect all that much out of him. We probably need another wing or maybe even someone that can play wing/FB to replace Etienne, if such a player exists at that level. I don’t love our FB depth.
Silva got hurt again? Ugh. Somehow I missed that.
Blows my mind that we’ve only won once away against chicago. They’ve been bad as long as we’ve even been a team. (they had 3rd best record in 2017)
Pretty sure that 2018 match was at Bridgeview. Not SF.
You’re absolutely right. I’ll go back and correct it