via chicago-fire.com
The Riverhounds visit the Chicago Fire tonight at 7:30EST, playing a match in Chicago’s Toyota Park.
The Hounds… well, they haven’t been good. They currently sit in last place in USL PRO with a 1-7-5 record, although they have won two matches in the USOC, with a +3 goal differential. The team sacked Justin Evans earlier in the season, and are now managed by player/coach (and former Chicago Fire PDL player) Nikola Katic. Speaking of Fire connections, Riverhounds’ captain Collins John returns to Chicago tonight, a team he played for in 17 matches in 2010. It’s actually a big enough deal that the Fire did a whole piece on him, which you can read here. John currently leads the Hounds with five goals in all competitions (four league, one Cup), while 2013 USL PRO MVP Jose Angulo is close behind with four (three league, one Cup).
And while the Fire aren’t exactly tearing up MLS right now by sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 2-4-8 record, their Cup credentials are impressive. Chicago has won the Cup four times, in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006, and lost in the finals twice, in 2004, and 2011. According to their website the Fire are 33-11-4 all-time in the USOC, and 21-1-1 in matches played in the state of Illinois. The squad is also fairly healthy, and should only be missing Patrick Nyarko and Gonzalo Segares to injury this evening. Harry Shipp and Quincy Amarikwa share the team lead with five goals each, and both could appear tonight after manager Frank Yallop claimed he won’t play “a weakened side” in the match.
These teams have played each other only one other time, in 2001, when the Fire beat the Hounds 3-2 at Wheaton College’s McCully Field. Neither team is doing great in league play, so the Fire could use this as a way to win some hardware this year. For Pittsburgh, a win here could continue a slight improvement in play. If there was ever a way of turning around a season, this would be it. Watch the match here.
Third Kick 