US OPEN CUP TICKETS VS. CHICAGO FIRE | AUGUST 8
It might seem like overkill to help you Know Your Enemy when facing a team for the third time in a season. But Chicago is such a shapeshifting, inconsistent, and broadly strange entity this year that there’s always some new weirdness to cover.
For example, Brandon Vincent (pictured below)… is a center back now? And the team plays a 5-4-1 that would look pretty doggone passive if Montreal’s old school Italian show up in Canada didn’t make everything else look exciting by comparison.
Two things that seem like they won’t change any time soon are Nemanja Nikolic’s ability to score goals and Alexander Katai’s willingness to shoot like Steph Curry (since the start of July, Katai has three goals on less than one Expected Goal, which statistically makes him Bizarro CJ Sapong).
The Fire used the weekend to prep for Wednesday’s US Open Cup clash. Key players were all rested and Paunovic’s deep-set system seemed designed to close down Borek Dockal’s space. This seems like a good idea since the Czech man has been instrumental in Philadelphia’s attacking success, but sitting deep and giving the Union midfield time to work can backfire if you cannot then match Philly’s numbers on the right wing once they get the ball deep into your territory.
One intriguing question is whether the Fire will stick with young Stefan Cleveland (yes, real name and not LeBron James’ secret identity… I think) in net. After finally sitting mistake machine Richard Sanchez last weekend, Chicago saw a lot to like in Cleveland’s eight saves.
Overall, to know the Fire is to know uncertainty. Paunovic will almost certainly send out Nikolic up top with Katai in support on Wednesday. Brandt Bronico will likely return to the lineup, though he’s far less of a guaranteed starter than Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Chicago could easily send out a Tony Tchani-Mo Adams (pictured below) pivot in midfield without a second thought.
The defense has allowed at least two goals in seven straight games, and the injury sustained by Diego Campos likely means newly acquired Nico Hasler will get a chance to strut his stuff at wingback. One big lineup question is whether there will be space for Raheem Edwards has been in full “younger brother” mode since coming over from Montreal: Busy and seemingly threatening but without anything resembling end product; he has four shots and an assist in 250 minutes but has not put one of those strikes on frame yet.
So expect the unexpected from the Fire. The only real certainty is that without Dax McCarty’s services the visitors will not control the game, so the Union will need to turn their dominance of the ball into big chances in order to cement dominance over the match at home.
Philly and Chicago face off in the US Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday, August 8 at 7PM EST in Talen Energy Stadium.
