The Chicago Fire are in the midst of a three-game winning streak and now face a top Western Conference foe Thursday night. The Men In Red return home to Chicagoland after earning their first road win of 2017 on Saturday. FC Dallas comes to Toyota Park with an undefeated record on the road. The midweek matchup will be the Fire’s fourth game in 12 days. The Fire may now be forced into making personnel changes for Thursday as Veljko Paunovic stayed with a largely unchanged squad in the previous three games.
Chicago Fire-FC Dallas Preview: Men in Red Look for Fourth Straight Win
Fire Win First Game of 2017 on Road
The Fire were not as clinical in D.C. at the weekend but created plenty of chances. Top scorer Nemanja Nikolic had a number of opportunities to add to his goals tally but missed a few and was denied by D.C. United’s Bill Hamid numerous times. The game’s only breakthrough came off the lighting fast boots of David Accam early in the second half. The Ghanian forward is in great form at the moment and was very dangerous throughout his 78 minutes of action.
With the 1-0 win in the nation’s capital, the Fire shrugged off a vexing piece of their abhorrent recent history. Not only did they get a win on the road but they closed out a one-goal game. The trailing opposition piled on the pressure in the waning moments but the Fire did not panic or buckle. Chicago appeared composed and took care of the ball in the final minutes. The new Men In Red showed their value during the high pressure times by refusing to concede late in the game. Bastian Schweinsteiger put on a clinic on how to keep the ball away from an opponent. The German midfielder won multiple corner kicks and then dribbled around D.C. to run out the last few moments for the Fire victory. A new fighting will to win and accountability is now visible with this Fire team.
Bastian, Bastian, Bastian! BASTIAN, BASTIAN, BASTIAN!!!
Good lawd don't hurt em, @BSchweinsteiger! #cf97 pic.twitter.com/Hyo1Pcjk4i
— Samuel Army (@thesamuelarmy) May 20, 2017
Will Veljko Paunovic Change His Winning Lineup?
The Fire have been very busy and Thursday’s game will be their fourth match in 12 days. The busy stretch has also been highly successful as the Fire have won all three. Changing a winning squad has not been Veljko Paunovic’s habit thus far but there must come a time. With the busy schedule a few players must have some weary legs. The limited squad rotation means there are many fresh players eager to get some playing time. If healthy, Juninho would be a logical choice in the middle of the field. Young homegrown midfielder Djordje Mihailovic has only played 15 minutes so far in his debut season and draft pick Daniel Johnson has shown some promise. Both players could add a youthful spark to a team that may be fatigued.
FC Dallas on Short Rest a Real Test
FC Dallas come from their own Toyota Stadium to Bridgeview’s Toyota Park for Thursday’s fixture. The homegrown heavy club has had mixed recent results but are undefeated on the road. While the Fire were earning their first road win in D.C., FC Dallas was taking their first loss of the season in a 1-0 defeat to San Jose. Oscar Pareja’s Dallas side currently sit third in the Western Conference but have multiple games in hand on the teams above them. Maximiliano Urruti’s six goals in nine games leads a well balanced Dallas side. The Fire may have difficulty lighting up the scoreboard as they did against Colorado and Seattle. Dallas’ defense has been amongst the stingiest in MLS with Pareja’s team having only conceded seven goals through ten games.
Like any MLS side there are weaknesses to be exposed though. Chicago’s best chances to score will likely come from second chance opportunities. The Dallas goalkeepers appear to regularly put rebounds back into dangerous areas. The goalkeeper position appeared to have let Dallas down on a few occasions but most noticeably in their CONCACAF Champions league defeat to Mexican side Pachuca in early April. Dallas has the all-time edge in the long running Brimstone Cup rivalry. The Fire have earned a 15-20-4 against the inaugural MLS team but are 11-8-2 at home in Chicagoland.
