March 1, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – FC Cincinnati News Release
FC Cincinnati will hit the road for the first time in 2024 for an Eastern Conference showdown with Chicago Fire FC on Saturday night at Soldier Field. After a nil-nil draw opening to the MLS season last Sunday against Toronto FC, sandwiched between victories in the Concacaf Champions Cup opening round, FCC are looking to get into the win column in league play against a club that just missed out on the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
With a busy schedule to open the regular season, including an eight-game stretch in 25 days to start the season, Saturday’s match in some ways feels like relief for The Orange and Blue. After utilizing a successful lineup rotation in Wednesday’s Champions Cup match with Cavalier FC to earn a decisive 4-0 victory, FCC come into the Chicago match with a fresh lineup. Similarly, with four days between Saturday’s contest and next Thursday’s Champions Cup fixture with CF Monterrey, concerns over fitness for that match are limited given the more normal time off between games.
“We have that extra day of recovery, Saturday to Thursday. So we can go after the next two games in a very aggressive way where you’re not thinking about rotations,” head coach Pat Noonan said Friday before departing for Chicago. “If you need to based on performance, result, or what you think your best group is, injury, all those things factor into it. But as far as how we’re looking at the next two games, there’s more than enough time to recover.”
Reinforcements are on the way for FC Cincinnati as for the first time all season The Orange and Blue will be at full capacity to deploy their optimal lineup. With his three-game suspension reduced to two prior to last Sunday’s match with Toronto, Matt Miazga is now fully available for selection in MLS play. Miazga played 45 minutes in Wednesday’s Concacaf match, but has yet to feature fully in the back three since the club’s match in Kingston, Jamaica, a match which did not feature Aaron Boupendza or Luca Orellano, both of whom are available for this match.
Chicago is looking to win their opening day match after drawing away to Philadelphia Union to start the season. Under the care of longtime Chicago Fire-man Frank Klopas once again, the Fire are poised for an exciting season after making significant offseason additions.
“It’s a small sample size of where we’re at in the year,” Noonan said of his opponent given how early it is in the calendar. “There…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Major League Soccer MLS News…