Officially at the halfway point in the 2022 regular season, the Columbus Crew goes back on the road this weekend when it faces rival Chicago Fire FC on Saturday night at Soldier Field.
Three Things to Know
5 – The Black & Gold are unbeaten in their last five games and have continued to produce impressive defensive showings. Against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday night at Lower.com Field, the Crew kept the Eastern Conference’s second place team quiet and defused any scoring threats with regularity. Columbus hopes to continue that defensive display this weekend – but with the attacking creativity it showed in its midweek road win last week at Toronto FC. Including that 2-1 win in the Trillium Cup, the Crew has won two of its last three road games, and Chicago is the last place team in the Eastern Conference.
9 – Saturday night could mark the debut of club-record signing Cucho Hernandez, who was added to the Crew’s roster Thursday when the MLS summer transfer window opened. The No. 9 will add an immediate attacking threat to an offense that’s been looking for more goal scoring threats in recent weeks. It was reported earlier this week that head coach Caleb Porter intends on adding Hernandez into the traveling squad for Saturday, but it’s unclear what his role will be of if he makes an appearance.
14 – The Chicago Fire currently sits bottom of the Eastern Conference with 17 points from 18 games. For comparison, the Black & Gold have 22 points from 17 points and are ninth in the Eastern Conference. With a win, they would climb in the standings and will be on the cusp of holding a playoff spot. But even with Chicago’s current position, the Fire shouldn’t be overlooked. The side has won its last two home matches at Soldier Field, including a win last Wednesday against 10-men Philadelphia Union. In its last match, Chicago lost, 2-1, at the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday.
When They Last Met
Saturday night’s rivalry game is a rematch from last year’s regular-season finale, when the Columbus Crew beat Chicago, 2-0, on Nov. 7 at Soldier Field. Lucas Zelarayán opened the scoring in the first half thanks to an assist from Derrick Etienne Jr. Miguel Berry then sealed the three points when he scored from a Liam Fraser assist in the second half.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew at Chicago Fire FC
When: Saturday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Soldier Field
How to Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports App (stream), ESPN+ (Out of Market)
How to Listen: 97.1 The Fan (English), ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)
Current Standings: Columbus Crew – ninth in Eastern Conference; Chicago Fire FC – 14th in Eastern Conference
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