Game Preview & How to Watch: Colorado Rapids at Chicago Fire

On Wednesday, May 17, the Colorado Rapids travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. Kickoff is set for 6:30 PM MT and it will be broadcast on Altitude.

The Colorado Rapids (2-6-1, 9 points) are coming off an impressive 3-0 victory last weekend over the San Jose Earthquakes, snapping a five-game losing streak. Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni changed to a 4-4-2 formation and we saw some players in different positions (like Marlon Hairston at right fullback). In what Mastroeni called “the most professional performance I’ve probably been a part of as head coach,” Shkelzen Gashi got his first and second goal of the 2017 season, while Dominique Badji put in another. It was a complete performance by both the offense and the defense.

The big news is that defender Axel Sjoberg is traveling with the team this week. We haven’t seen Sjoberg on the pitch since he got injured in the second game of the season, and while it’s not certain that he will suit up, we should be seeing him soon.

The Chicago Fire (4-3-3, 15 points) are having a similar turnaround this year as the Rapids did last year. They were the worst in the league in 2016, but this season they find themselves in 6th place in the east and unbeaten at home. There were some questions raised when the team signed 32-year-old German Bastian Schweinsteiger, but he has made an immediate impact on the team, with two goals and two assists in seven games.

Nemanja Nikolić and David Accam are the players the Rapids will need to stop, as they combine for 12 of the team’s 17 total goals for the season. The Rapids will also be playing against a former teammate, forward Luis Solignac. The Fire have been unable to beat the Rapids in the last three match-ups, and Colorado is 5-2-4 against Chicago when they play each other during the week.

After this match, the Burgundy Boys are heading to play another team that’s trying to turn its season around, the Philadelphia Union. It will be interesting to see who Pablo plays and how he manages their time over the next couple matches.

Injuries

Colorado

QUESTIONABLE: none

OUT: Bismark Adjei-Boateng (back)

Chicago

QUESTIONABLE: Juninho (ankle sprain)

OUT: John Goossens (ankle)

Suspensions

none

How to Watch

Match Date/Time: Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. MDT

Venue: Toyota Stadium - Bridgeview, IL

TV Information: Altitude

Radio: Altitude950 and online

Live Stream: MLS Live (Blackouts apply)

Weather at Kickoff: 80 degrees and partly cloudy/windy