MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Weekly Update: International Break, Preparing for Three-Game Road Stretch, and Chicago Fire II at Home

June 12, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


INTERNATIONAL BREAK

After playing 11 games in 36 days, Chicago heads into the International FIFA break along with the rest of Major League Soccer. Four-time FIFA World Cup veteran Xherdan Shaqiri will join the Switzerland Men's National Team as the Swiss Men's Nati continues 2024 UEFA EURO qualifying.

Switzerland has been drawn into Group I of EURO 2024 qualifying along with Romania, Kosovo, Andorra, Israel and Belarus. Shaqiri and Switzerland resume qualifying against Andorra at 1:45 p.m. CT on Friday, June 16, at the Estadi Nacional in Andorra la Vella, Andorra. Switzerland then hosts Romania at 1:45 p.m. CT on Monday, June 19 at the Swissporarena in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Defender Miguel Navarro joins the Venezuela National Team for a pair of international friendly matches.

Navarro joins the Vinotinto for the second time under head coach Fernando Batista as the team prepares to face Honduras at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, June 15 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and Guatemala at 3:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 18 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Chicago will resume training at SeatGeek Stadium on Wednesday, June 14. The first 15 minutes of each session will be open to the media, with interviews with coaches and players occurring directly afterward. Media members interested in attending must RSVP and share any interview requests with Elizabeth Sánchez at esanchez@chicagofirefc.com at least 24 hours in advance of the training session they plan to attend. (Full schedule below).

REST, THEN ON TO THE ROSE CITY

Following the FIFA international break, Chicago will kick off a three-game road stretch that will take the team from coast to coast. First, the Fire head west to face the Portland Timbers at 9:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 21 at Providence Park. Chicago will then visit Sporting Kansas City, with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 24 at Children's Mercy Park, before traveling to square up against Orlando City at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, July 1 at Exploria Stadium.

Chicago travels to Portland looking to pick up its first win against the Timbers in the 11th overall encounter between the two clubs. Chicago last faced Portland in a 3-2 loss on Aug. 14, 2019 at Providence Park where a red card to Aleksander Katai in the 30th minute left Chicago with 10 men for the majority of the match. Chicago went down 2-0 before pulling one back in the 74th minute by way of Nemanja Nikolic, but a third Portland goal was too much to overcome despite a stoppage-time tally by C.J. Sapong in the 90+2nd minute.

FIRST GOAL FOR HERNANDEZ, SECOND FOR TRIP!

Chicago Fire FC II came from behind to tie New England Revolution II 2-2 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Despite going down to 10 men in the 52nd minute, Chicago earned a point in the tie, but New England earned an additional point from the ensuing shootout. Noeh Hernandez opened the scoring in the 14th minute, putting Chicago on the board with his first Chicago Fire II goal of the season. Chicago went down a man in the 52nd minute when Noah Egan earned a second yellow card for a hard tackle. Despite being a man down, Chicago tied the game in the 62nd minute with a goal from Richard "Trip" Fleming III. Chicago returns home to host Orlando City B in a midweek match on Thursday, June 15, at SeatGeek Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT and can be streamed live on MLSNEXTPro.com.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 12, 2023


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