New York City FC return to action on Saturday night with a trip to Chicago Fire.
Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford.
Heating Up
With seven games of the regular season remaining, it’s crunch time for the playoff push.
The Boys in Blue have four home games and three road games left to secure a place in the postseason tournament, starting with this weekend’s visit to Illinois.
Saturday evening’s encounter pits eighth against ninth in the Eastern Conference, with both New York and Chicago currently occupying the Wild Card positions.
Pascal Jansen’s men sit two points above the Soldier Field outfit, having played one game fewer - and hold a four-point lead on 10th-placed Red Bulls, with two games in hand. Facing the Fire before embarking on a three-game home stand, New York have an excellent opportunity to not only cement their place in the playoff picture, but to climb their way up the table with a late charge for the top four spots.
Heading into this clash, the Boys in Blue will need to bounce back from defeat to D.C. United last time out, but can take plenty of heart from May’s 3-1 win over Chicago, plus the fine form and statement victories over Nashville SC and FC Cincinnati, which sparked postseason hopes.
Reignite
This weekend sees New York return to league play following the international break, while Chicago were in action on Saturday night with a crucial home victory against the New England Revolution.
Employing their familiar 4-3-3 formation, the Fire edged a five-goal thriller, staving off a late fightback to earn a vital three points, clawing themselves into ninth spot in the East with their third win in their last four home games.
A rapid start saw the hosts storm into a two-goal lead within the opening ten minutes. Jonathan Bamba struck inside 90 seconds, before Philip Zinckernagel doubled the tally, and top scorer Hugo Cuypers added a third on 68’ to claim a commanding advantage. Though two late Revs goals set up a nervy finish, Gregg Berhalter’s side held firm for the points.
Chicago have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes on their own turf in recent weeks, but have actually fared better on their travels this year, recording 7-6-1 on the road in contrast to their 5-4-5 home streak. However, New York’s results away from the Five Boroughs have been equally inconsistent (4-5-5), making for an intriguing match-up on Saturday with both sides in similar form - each having won four of their last six MLS games.
Despite New York’s impressive league run through July and August, the Boys in Blue have tended to struggle against the teams below them in the table, such as the disappointing setback against D.C. United. Fresh from their two-week break, the Boys in Blue will strive for an immediate response, in the quest to build end-of-season momentum.
Firepower
Netting 53 goals in their 28 games, Chicago boast one of the most prolific attacks in MLS this season.
A thumping 7-1 win at D.C. in June certainly helped to boost those numbers, but the Fire are equipped with plenty of firepower - 16-goal Cuypers standing as their top marksman for the term, and joint-fourth-highest scorer across the league.
Their key man however is winger and MLS All-Star Zinckernagel - the Danish midfielder has proven the Fire’s most creative outlet, bagging 12 goals and crafting 13 assists (third-most in MLS) in 26 games this term. Those 25 goal involvements mean Zinckernagel now holds the second-best single-season tally in Chicago’s history, and New York must find a way to douse his attacking spark.
Nullifying the Fire’s threat will be a tough task, but the Boys in Blue will back themselves to emerge victorious come Saturday night. While Chicago have been firing at the sharp end of the field, Berhalter’s side have not proven as hot defensively, conceding 50 goals in total. In their last four games, they have shipped 10 goals, including a 4-0 reverse at the hands of Supporters’ Shield leaders Philadelphia Union.
If New York can contain Chicago’s attack and make their own offensive moments count, Jansen’s men will stand in good stead to return to the Five Boroughs with maximum points.
