Gameday Guide & How to Watch

The Chicago Fire and Montreal Impact are two teams headed in different directions going into tonight’s match at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ (6:30 p.m. CT, WGN & ESPN+).

© Erika Mariscal/Chicago Fire FC
Chicago’s Jonathan Bornstein from the 2-0 win over Atlanta United

The Fire have won its last two matches in convincing fashion—six goals for, zero against. Meantime, Montreal has lost four in a row. The Impact haven’t played a true home game in nearly a month, having been forced to move its operations to New Jersey because of COVID-related travel issues.

“They are on the high at the minute. We are on the low. So, we need to try to find a way to change that,” Montreal Impact Head Coach Thierry Henry told Hot Time.

Henry was full of praise for Raphael Wicky’s Fire team at a news conference this week.

“Listen, I’ve been impressed recently with how they’ve been playing,” Henry said. “They’ve been unlucky in some games … They try to play from the back, they try to put pressure, they have an idea, that’s how I like to see the game be played.”

For Wicky’s part, he gave high praise to Henry’s Impact, as well. Even with Montreal at a low point in their season, Wicky knows his men have to play smart, or they’ll get punished.

“I see a team which has a style, has an identity,” Wicky said. “It’s a team who is clearly possession orientated, who always wants to build from the back and who has clear movements on how they want to start their build and start their action in the game, and they have good individual quality who can hurt you. So that’s what I see, so we are going to be prepared for that.”

Following this match, the Fire will be without a couple key players leaving on international duty—Gastón Giménez, who is making a one-time switch to play for Paraguay, and Miguel Navarro, who got the call up for his native Venezuela. Both men will have to quarantine for 10 days after returning, so they’ll be away from the Fire for almost a month.

Some good news: Fire defender Johan Kappelhof is off the injury report, and Wicky indicated he’s coming along slowly but surely, so he should be available to help the team soon, possibly even tonight.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

MLS Regular Season Match #15 | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ

Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. CT

TV: WGN-TV (local)

Streaming: ESPN+ (sign up using our link!) Remember, when you watch on ESPN+, you get 15 minutes of extra pregame coverage.

Radio: 105.1 WOJO-HD2

Live Twitter Updates: @HotTimeOldTown (from Ruben)

Next Up: Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire | Wednesday, Oct. 7 | Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS | 7:30 p.m. CT | WGN-TV & ESPN+

Chicago Fire Injuries

• OUT: GK – Kenneth Kronholm (torn ACL, meniscus tear 8/11, out for season)
• OUT: M – Luka Stojanovic (MCL surgery 7/23)
• OUT: M – Jeremiah Gutjahr (knee injury)
• OUT: M – Przemyslaw Frankowski (not medically cleared)

Montreal Impact Injuries

• OUT: M – Steeven Saba (left foot injury)
• OUT: M – Matheiu Choiniere (ankle injury)
• OUT: F – Orji Okwonkwo (hamstring injury)

Some Light Pregame Reading