Two teams searching for their first win since March will square off Saturday afternoon when the Chicago Fire host Atlanta United in Eastern Conference play.
Atlanta (2-5-4, 10 points) hasn’t picked up a victory since a 4-3 home win over New York City FC on March 29. Last time out, the club recorded a 1-1 draw against Nashville SC, snapping a three-game losing streak as well as a three-game scoreless stretch.
“I think we played really well,” Atlanta coach Ronny Deila said of the draw. “We were the team that we wanted to be, the team that we’ve been talking about. I’m very happy that I saw that, and I saw a lot of energy.”
Miguel Almiron’s goal in the 20th minute finally put the team on the board, also accounting for the 24th of his career — good for second place in club history. On the same play, Brooks Lennon recorded his 40th career assist, passing Julian Gressel for most in United history.
Atlanta hopes the signs of life offensively continue on Saturday, as it squares off with a Chicago club that’s been prone to poor defense through 11 matches.
Chicago (3-4-4, 13 points) has allowed 22 goals on the year — second only to D.C. United’s 23. The club was able to earn a scoreless draw last Saturday against Orlando City SC, which came on the heels of a 7-2 defeat at Nashville.
“It’s frustrating that we didn’t win the game because I thought we played really well,” said Chicago coach Gregg Berhalter. “But the most important thing was our response. You couldn’t tell that we lost last week 7-2. That’s the positive thing.”
Chicago is looking for its first MLS victory at Soldier Field in 2025, as it’s gone 0-1-4 at home this season. The Fire enter play aiming for its first league win since a 3-1 triumph at Vancouver on March 22.
Second-year forward Hugo Cuypers leads the team — and is tied for the league lead — with seven goals on the season, while Brian Gutierrez and Philip Zinckernagel follow with three apiece.
The two clubs will square off in Atlanta on July 16.
–Field Level Media
