By Siobhan Nolan, Contributing Writer
Week 4 of MLS play is going to be a battle of the disappointments, as the Union take on the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field.
Both teams are having a rough start to the season, only taking away one point from their last three league games. While the Union have a bit more of an excuse for their poor run of form, having to focus on both MLS and the CONCACAF Champions League, their league play still leaves much to be desired. They’ve proven that they’re more than capable of generating a prolific offense and holding together a solid defense in the CCL, but for some reason, they haven’t been able to replicate those performances in MLS. Their 2020 campaign started with a three-game winless streak, and ended with the Supporters’ Shield, so all hope isn’t lost just yet.
The Fire don’t have international competition to worry about, rather a new ownership that is already showing cracks and calling into question the owners’ understanding of MLS play. While they’ve shown that they perform better at home than on the road, the Fire aren’t looking to be in any shape to suddenly get their act together against a team that just advanced to the semifinals of the CCL.
Possible Starting XI: Blake, Mbaizo, Glesnes, Elliott, Wagner, Bedoya, Fontana, Flach, Monteiro, Santos, Przybylko
- Again, Jim Curtin is likely to make minimal changes to his lineup. It’s been working well in the CCL, and it isn’t too late in the season for it to start working in MLS. Jose Martinez will miss this game because of a red card suspension, but he is the only significant absence in the team right now.
Score Prediction: There’s really no telling how the Union will perform in this game, but their stretch of mediocre performances can’t last forever. Playing against a struggling and disorganized Fire might not be the most convincing win, but at this point, three points is three points. A simple 2-1 win scoreline should do the trick. Fourth time’s the charm, right?
