Orlando City and the Chicago Fire will each be minus key contributors when they meet for the second time this month.
Looking to rebound after its lengthy MLS unbeaten streak ended, Orlando aims to hand the visiting Fire a second straight defeat Saturday night.
Amid a disastrous final stretch Wednesday, Orlando (7-3-6, 27 points) saw its club record-tying 12-match unbeaten run (6-0-6) end with a frustrating 3-2 defeat at Atlanta United.
Orlando led 2-1 when Cesar Araujo, who scored the night’s first goal, was issued a red card for violent conduct in the 77th minute. Moments later, Atlanta equalized, and one minute later, Orlando coach Oscar Pareja was ejected for arguing Araujo’s booking.
Atlanta then went ahead in stoppage time, sending Orlando to a disheartening loss.
“As a team, we wanted more,” Orlando defender Alex Freeman said.
“To bounce back from (the loss), we want to get a clean sheet against Chicago. We need to attack well and defend well.”
Wednesday marked just the third time in 10 MLS matches that Orlando conceded a goal. It played to a scoreless draw at Chicago on May 3.
But while Orlando will be minus Araujo, the Fire (5-5-4, 19 points) won’t have star Brian Gutierrez (five goals) after he received a red card for violent conduct during Sunday’s 3-1 loss to New York City FC. Meanwhile, fellow starter Mauricio Pineda is also likely out due to injury.
Chicago was amid a 2-0-1 stretch, where it allowed just two goals, before Saturday’s defeat.
“We’ve got to keep moving,” Fire coach Gregg Berhalter said. “(Our players) can grind. … We’re going to keep going, and go down to Orlando and try to get a result.”
The Fire’s Hugo Cuypers is among the league leaders with eight goals, but has none in two straight league matches. Orlando’s Martin Ojeda, also with eight goals, has been blanked in three straight.
Since 2020, Orlando is 6-1-2 against the Fire and has not lost to Chicago since July 2021.
–Field Level Media
