Chicago Fire vs. DC United | 2016 MLS Match Preview

mlssoccer

CHICAGO FIRE vs. D.C. UNITED
Toyota Park | Bridgeview, Illinois
Friday, September 16 | Week #28 | MLS Game #283
8 pm ET (UniMás in US, MLS LIVE in Canada)

A crucial meeting of teams below the red line in the Eastern Conference is ahead when the Chicago Fire play host to D.C. United at Toyota Park on Viernes de Fútbol. The Fire are coming off a 2-1 home loss to Toronto FC in Bridgeview last weekend, leaving them eight points out of sixth place in the conference and the final postseason position. United are just a point behind sixth-place Orlando City, continuing their three-game road swing after a come-from-behind 2-2 draw at the New York Red Bulls last Sunday. 

• Michael de Leeuw scored for a third consecutive game, but the Fire had their home undefeated streak put to an end after nine matches in their 2-1 loss to Toronto FC at Toyota Park on Saturday evening.
• For the second time in less than a month, D.C. United overcame a late two-goal deficit to the New York Red Bulls, as Steve Birnbaum scored in the 89th minute and Lamar Neagle hit for the equalizer in stoppage time to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena. The teams also reached a 2-2 draw Aug. 21 at RFK Stadium when United scored twice in the final 20 minutes.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Patrick Mullins scored a hat trick and Luciano Acosta scored a goal and added three assists as United equaled their club record in a 6-2 win Aug. 27 at RFK Stadium. The teams played to a 1-1 draw April 30 at Toyota Park.
• United have not lost in the last six meetings in the meetings, scoring 17 goals over that span, winning four consecutive games before the draw in the first meeting this year. United have won the last four matches at RFK Stadium, undefeated in their last five home meetings with the Fire, dating back to 2015.

REFEREE: Kevin Stott. AR1 (bench): Matthew Nelson; AR2 (opposite): James Conlee; 4th: David Gantar
MLS Career: 291 games; FC/gm: 25.3; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 71; pens: 77

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DC: Steve Birnbaum, Marcelo Sarvas
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: David Accam, Joao Meira… DC: Sean Franklin
DISABLED LIST: DC: Chris Korb, Alhaji Kamara, Charlie Horton
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (54 meetings): Fire 18 wins, 79 goals … United 22 wins, 85 goals … Ties 14
AT CHICAGO (26 meetings): Fire 10 wins, 41 goals … United 7 wins, 31 goals … Ties 9
2016 (MLS): 4/30: CHI 1, DC 1 (Campbell 41 – Nyarko 64) 8/27: DC 6, CHI 2 (Acosta 25; Mullins 40, 46+, 74; Nyarko 51; DeLeon 89 – de Leeuw 31; Cocis 47+)