The Chicago Fire didn’t have much time to enjoy Saturday’s big win against Seattle.
Four days after beating the defending champs in front of a sellout crowd, the Fire host the Colorado Rapids. CSN+ has the live coverage beginning at 7 p.m. with Fire Pregame Live.
The Fire’s undefeated home record will be on the line against a Rapids team which is 0-4 on the road. Colorado is coming off its second win of the season, a 3-0 win against San Jose which snapped a five-game losing streak. Colorado (2-6-1, 7 points) enters with the lowest point total in the league.
“Colorado is in need of points,” coach Veljko Paunovic said. “Defensively they are tough and also have experienced players and players in attack who can be decisive.”
The Rapids have given up 12 goals, fifth fewest in the league, but have scored just eight, fewest in the league.
The Fire (4-3-3, 15 points) have lost to Colorado the last two seasons.
“They have some good players, really quality players, strong,” winger David Accam said. “They will give us a tough game. I remember playing them here my first year and we lost. I don’t want to lose them again.”
The game continues the Fire’s stretch of four games in 13 days. The Fire started the stretch with a win against Seattle and will continue it at D.C. United on Saturday. The finale is a home match against Dallas the following Thursday.
The short rest and future tight schedule could call for more squad rotation and will test the team’s depth. Goalkeeper Jorge Bava is still out with a head injury that kept him out Saturday as well and Michael Harrington is listed as questionable due to illness. Juninho, who missed the Seattle game with a sprained ankle, is not listed on the injury report and could return to the lineup.
“We now have the stretch of four games in two weeks where we have to give some guys some rest,” Paunovic said after the Seattle match. “Other guys we have to push them until we have that small break that we will have after the game against Dallas.”
This will also be a chance to find out how fit Bastian Schweinsteiger is. The 32-year-old German midfielder has started every match since joining the Fire, but even admitted a few weeks ago that he was playing at 70 percent fitness. Will he be able to start all four matches in this stretch?
“I’d love to play every single second so I hope I can play every minute,” Schweinsteiger said last week. “I am actually looking forward (to it). I love to play games. I mean training sessions are always good, but I think every player likes to play games and matches and that’s why I am actually happy about it.”
Paunovic didn’t give anything away in regards to Schweinsteiger’s playing time during this busy period.
Either way, the Fire will be expected to win against the Rapids, something which hasn’t been true often for the Fire in recent years. The Fire are 4-0-1 at home and playing the team at the bottom of the MLS standings.
“We want to win every home game,” Accam said. “We want to win every game, but when you lose at home you lose your pride and I don’t want to lose my pride. We need every game at home. It’s huge for us.”
Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids
Where: Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill.
TV: CSN+
When: Coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Fire Pregame Live
Records: Fire (4-3-3, 15 points), Rapids (2-6-1, 7 points)