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MLS NEXT Pro Chicago Fire FC II

Chicago Fire FC Weekly Update

October 1, 2023 - MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Chicago Fire FC II News Release


CHICAGO FIRE FC RETURNS TO THE LAKEFRONT AFTER ROAD WIN AGAINST NEW YORK RED BULLS

Chicago earned three hard-fought points on Saturday with a 1-0 win against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. Midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri provided the assist on 19-year-old forward Georgios Koutsias' game-winning goal, tallying his fifth assist of the 2023 season. With the victory, the Fire moved just below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference and are level on points (37) with CF Montréal, who occupy the ninth and final playoff berth. The Fire also have a game-in-hand on D.C. United, who moved into 10th place after earning a point in a 2-2 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday night.

The Fire will return to the lake front on Wednesday, Oct. 4 as the Club hosts Inter Miami CF at 7:30 p.m. CT at Soldier Field. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV, and transmitted locally in English on 890 WLS-AM and in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM. In the previous encounter between the two teams, the Fire earned their first road win of the season, with a 3-2 victory on March 25 at DRV PNK Stadium. The victory saw three different players score for the Fire, including striker Kei Kamara sending home the game-winner in the 90+2nd minute to register his first goal in a Fire uniform.

Chicago holds a 3-1-1 regular season record against the South Florida side, who brings renewed firepower to Chicago with the addition of international veterans Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Since the trio joined the Miami roster, along with head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino, Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup 2023 trophy and finished as Runner-Up in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition.Two of the Fire's final three matches of the regular season will take place at home, against teams who are all competing with Chicago for the final playoff positions in the East. In addition to facing Inter Miami, the Fire will battle against Charlotte FC at Soldier Field on Saturday, Oct. 7, before playing its 2023 regular season finale against New York City FC at Citi Field on Saturday, Oct. 21. NYCFC is coming off a 1-1 tie with Miami, which elevated the team to eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 38 points.

CHICAGO FIRE FC II FALLS TO NEW YORK RED BULLS II IN 2023 MLS NEXT PRO PLAYOFFS

Chicago Fire FC II fell 4-1 in the opening round of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs against New York Red Bulls II on Sunday afternoon. MLS NEXT Pro Best XI midfielder Ibrahim Kasule scored twice for the home team, while Luka Prpa tallied the Fire's lone goal of the match.

New York pushed forward from the onset of the match. Wiki Carmona stepped up to deliver a perfect cross from a corner kick in the 10th minute to Frank Ssebufu, whose opening goal set the tempo for the rest of the half. New York scored again in the 26th minute and made it 3-0 before halftime.

With a three-goal deficit to start the second half, the Fire came out of the break looking to spark a comeback. Missael Rodríguez came off the bench and immediately created problems for the home side, earning a foul just outside the box in the 55th minute. After a few near misses on prior free kicks, Prpa did not miss a minute later. The stiker perfectly curved the ball into the upper 90 of the goal and reinvigorated the visitors as they sought to get back in the match.

The Fire created several chances throughout the rest of the half, including a corner kick that glanced off the woodwork and out. But the Red Bulls held on through the remainder of the match, adding a goal in the last minute of stoppage time to clinch a place in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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