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Chicago Fire Weekly Update

June 6, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Chicago Fire FC News Release


CHICAGO TAKES ON HOUSTON TODAY!

Chicago continues the quest to become the first MLS team to win five Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championships when the team takes on the Houston Dynamo in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, June 6 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. The match will be broadcast on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

The Fire entered the 2023 edition of the historic tournament in the third round, defeating Chicago House 3-0 in the latest edition of a Chicago derby on April 26 at SeatGeek Stadium. Chicago then defeated 2-1 St. Louis CITY SC on May 9 in the Round of 32, in what was the first encounter ever between the two sides.

In another first-ever matchup between the two teams, Chicago Fire FC defeated Austin FC 2-0 in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas on May 24, with goals from defender Rafael Czichos and forward Kacper Przybyłko while goalkeeper Spencer Richey kept the clean sheet.

Chicago advances to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the 15th time in Club history, which ranks as the second-most in MLS era (since 1996), per Opta.

Following the match against Houston, the Fire will train at SeatGeek Stadium and 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).

QUEST FOR FIVE 50/50 RAFFLE

As the Chicago Fire continues the quest for five Open Cup titles, the Chicago Fire Foundation is excited to announce The Quest for 5: a $5,000 guaranteed 50/50 Raffle Jackpot. As with other 50/50 raffle jackpots, half of the overall jackpot will be awarded to a lucky fan who purchases the winning 50/50 raffle ticket either online or in-person. The Quest for 5 - $5,000 Guaranteed 50/50 Raffle Jackpot opened on Monday, June 5 and will run through the entire Chicago Fire FC U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match against the Houston Dynamo, until the 80th minute of the MLS regular season match against the Columbus Crew on Saturday, June 10.

Fans interested in participating can purchase tickets online here. Fans do not need to be in attendance at either of the Chicago Fire FC matches to participate or win. All proceeds from the Chicago Fire Foundation's 50/50 Raffle Jackpot benefit the Foundation's award-winning P.L.A.Y.S. (Participate, Learn, Achieve, Youth, Soccer) Program.

PRIDE NIGHT AT SOLDIER FIELD!

Chicago hosts Midwestern rival Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 10 at Soldier Field, in what is the team's annual Pride Night! The match will feature special events, a Pride flag giveaway, and activities planned to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV+, and transmitted locally in English on 890 WLS-AM and in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.

It will be the first of two matches between the two Eastern Conference rivals during the 2023 MLS regular season, with Columbus heading to Chicago after winning two consecutive matches at home. Chicago returns to the lakefront after a four-game road stretch across all competitions, most recently falling 1-0 to Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.

INTERNATIONAL DUTY

Midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri and defender Miguel Navarro have been called to the Switzerland National Team and to the Venezuela National Team, respectively, for the upcoming June FIFA International window.

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. The Swiss Men's Nati then hosts Romania at 1:45 p.m. CT on Monday, June 19 at the Swissporarena in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Navarro joins the Vinotinto for the second time under head coach Fernando Batista as the team prepares to face Honduras on June 15 in Washington, D.C., and Guatemala on June 18 in East Hartford, Connecticut.

BIG ROAD WIN FOR CHICAGO FIRE II

Chicago Fire FC II earned three points on the road for the second time this season following a 4-2 victory at Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday. Harold Osorio recorded a hat trick of assists on goals by Justin Reynolds, Richard Fleming III and Luka Prpa, while Billy Hency added a goal with help from Noeh Hernandez. The Fire recorded its third win of the season as Columbus dropped its third decision in a row.

Chicago Fire II will remain on the road Sunday, June 11, when the team takes on New England Revolution II at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The match will begin at 7 p.m. CT and can be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com.

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