NYCFC vs Chicago Fire FC preview: Finally back home in the Big Apple

It has been two-and-a-half months since New York City FC played a home game in the Big Apple. It was that match against the Columbus Crew that ended the winless streak in Major League Soccer. But after that, the Boys in Blue played five matches away from home, and there was the World Cup break. Therefore, fans are in for a treat to finally see their team again when they play against Chicago Fire FC.

Both teams played in the midweek, with NYCFC securing a win and the MLS regular-season sweep over the Columbus Crew. Then, Chicago played Inter Miami CF but lost in an exciting 3-2 battle. Therefore, the home side knows they will be facing a side that wants to get the first win back from the break. Plus, the Fire has their new star, striker Robert Lewandowski. His scoring ability already makes the team more threatening.

Moreover, the visitors are already having a good season, for they have a record of 8-5-2. Rather, they are having one of their best seasons in years. But NYCFC has history on their side, for they last lost to the Fire in 2021. Since then, the Pigeons have won six times and shared the points in the other three meetings.

While Chicago will be threatening, and while the Bronx side will be without multiple players again, the hope is that this unbeaten streak will continue. Here is a preview of the upcoming match between NYCFC and the Fire.

NYCFC vs Chicago Fire FC preview

Date

NYCFC and Chicago will play on Saturday, July 25.

Time

The match will start at 7:30 PM.

Location

The game will be at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York.

How to watch

Supporters can watch the meeting on Apple TV.

Weather

Saturday will be a beautiful summer day. It will be about 77 degrees at the start of the match, with about 43% humidity. It will be sunny before the sun sets, and then clear at night. A slight breeze will keep it cooler, and thankfully, the team does not have the threat of the poor air quality that was around all last week.

Injury report

There is no change to the injury report. Drew Baiera (leg), Raul Gustavo (leg), Mac Learned (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), Maxi Moralez (leg), Aiden O’Neill (leg), Kevin O’Toole (leg), Keaton Parks (leg), and Kai Trewin (leg) are all out for the Chicago fixture.

Players to watch

NYCFC fans should watch Pascal Jansen. The head coach is dealing with a shortage of players, but in the end, he put out the right lineup in Columbus. Will he continue with that same lineup? He also made the right substitution choices, so it will be interesting to see whether he can lead his team using the right tactics and make the decisions that will lead to another three points.

Supporters should watch Lewandowski as well. Again, the striker is still one of the best in the world, regardless of his drop-off in his last season at FC Barcelona. He scored only 19 goals in all competitions, but also played less compared to the prior season. Then, he scored 42 goals. As such, once he adjusts to MLS, fans can expect him to score a lot. The hope is that he does not get his first one against the Pigeons.

Prediction

After the Columbus game, it makes sense to be positive. Sure, the Fire is better than they have been in the last few years. The Pigeons also have not had the home advantage that they are used to over the last few seasons. Still, there is hope that they can pull out the win, and that is why the prediction is a 2-0 win for NYCFC.

Add us as a preferred source on Google