Fire Look to Bounce Back From Embarrassing Defeat vs. Orlando City
After a humiliating road loss that sent shockwaves through MLS circles, the Chicago Fire return home hoping to regroup as they face Orlando City SC on Saturday night at Soldier Field.
Before kickoff, those betting on a Fire rebound or another Orlando surge can lock in smart wagers with the latest MLS Picks and Predictions for key insights ahead of this crucial Eastern Conference clash.
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Chicago Trying to Shake Off Historic Collapse
The Fire (3-4-3, 12 points) are coming off a 7-2 blowout defeat at the hands of Nashville SC — the most goals they’ve ever conceded in an MLS match. Chicago trailed 7-0 before late strikes from Philip Zinckernagel and Hugo Cuypers added some dignity to the scoreboard.
“We’re going to learn a lot about ourselves this week,” coach Gregg Berhalter said. “It’s about accountability — for coaches and players alike — and plotting how we move forward.”
It was only the 13th time in MLS history a team allowed seven goals in a single match. The Fire are now winless in five (0-3-2), still searching for their first home win of the season (0-1-3), and are tied with D.C. United for the most goals conceded league-wide (22).
On the bright side, Cuypers’ seventh goal of the campaign puts him in a tie for the MLS scoring lead, a rare highlight during a tough stretch for the club.
Orlando City Riding High After Routing Atlanta
Orlando City (4-2-4, 16 points) enters this match with renewed momentum following a dominant 3-0 home win over rival Atlanta United. That victory snapped a 312-minute goal drought and gave the Lions their fourth straight clean sheet.
Luis Muriel converted a penalty just before halftime, while Marco Pasalic scored his fifth goal of the season, moving ahead of Muriel and Martin Ojeda (four each) on the team leaderboard.
“Keep the solidness in the defensive phase and get back to scoring more,” head coach Oscar Pareja said. “It seems like we found that balance against Atlanta.”
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Orlando has proven it can be dangerous when its front three find rhythm, and they’ll look to exploit Chicago’s defensive vulnerabilities on the road.
Will the Fire Right the Ship at Home?
With their season teetering, the Fire have no room for excuses in front of their home fans. Meanwhile, Orlando’s defensive resurgence and potent counterattack make them a tough out.