CHICAGO | CF Montreal is aiming for an eighth straight game without a loss, but it’s a tricky matchup when they visit Soldier Field against the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.
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The Fire, which ranks twelfth in the East, has a very ordinary record of five wins, four losses and as many ties at home, but it has allowed only ten goals in those thirteen games.
“It’s a difficult match, it’s a field that is not easy,” said Wilfried Nancy on Thursday, knowing that the end of the season brings its share of difficulties.
“The last games of the championship are always difficult. We’re going to put a team in place that will disrupt Chicago to try to bring home points. »
emotional
It will be an emotional game for Djordje Mihailovic, who returns home after formalizing his move to AZ Alkmaar earlier this week. He also lost his grandmother on Wednesday.
Wilfried Nancy has indicated that although the midfielder has missed some training due to his trip to Europe, he will be available on Saturday evening, but that emotions will have to be managed.
“Djordje is in a difficult situation because he lost his grandmother so we will help him on the pitch,” said Victor Wanyama.
“All he has to do is make sure he makes his family proud by playing a good game. It would be memorable for him and his family if he managed to score in memory of his grandmother. »
Rough streak
CF Montreal still has eight games to play before the end of the season, including six in the next 21 days.
It’s another grueling end to the schedule as MLS likes it with an international break in the heat of the playoff race at the end of September.
In addition to Matko Miljevic, suspended, Wilfried Nancy will also be deprived of Rudy Camacho still injured in the shoulder.
Luckily for the team, Nancy has a knack for dissecting the opponent and molding herself into it, no matter who is playing.
“Wilfried is a tactician, last week we saw that he read New England’s strategy very well. We like the way we play from game to game,” said –
notice Wanyama.
The opponent in 5 points
The Shaqir touch
Xherdan Shaqiri was one of the big acquisitions last winter in MLS and he’s not disappointing Fire fans. The Swiss midfielder has four goals and eleven assists in twenty-two games. He ranks third in the league in this regard, tied with three other players.
A major absentee
The Fire will end the season without midfielder Gaston Gimenez, who underwent hamstring surgery on Wednesday.
Back at home
The Fire return to Soldier Field after playing their last home game, a 2-0 loss to New York City, at their former home, SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. We preferred to proceed this way because of the quality of the grass diminished by the presentation of two concerts in two days on August 19 and 20.
small attack
The Fire don’t give many goals at home (10), but that’s something else away (26). But it’s the offense that gives head coach Ezra Hendrickson a headache, with just 28 goals in 26 games.
Laundered twice
This is the first time the Fire and CF Montreal have met this season. The Fire will be visiting Stade Saputo on September 13. Montreal won both meetings of 2021 by shutout.