Fire to play USOC semi on the road, would host final with win

David Accam lifting a trophy in front of thousands of cheering Fire fans at Toyota Park is a thing that could actually happen in 2016.

I never really thought I would be able to classify the Fire’s 2016 season as “special,” but if they do their job and defy the odds the Fire could be lifting the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy in front of their home crowd after a defeat over Western power FC Dallas or Western power L.A. Galaxy.

I’m probably getting too excited just thinking about it because there is still a lot of hard work to do, starting with a road game on August 9 in New England. As we all know, the Fire have issues winning on the road. Luckily this is an Open Cup game and not MLS game so maybe the “winless road streak” mojo that hangs over the club won’t be a factor. But it’s going to be hard.

And as the classic saying goes, the fourth time is the charm! The Fire have their fourth consecutive crack at making the Open Cup final and after failing in the previous three attempts I have to think maybe sheer statistics need to even out a little and Chicago gets a win.

Really I am just trying to talk myself into a scenario where the Fire are lifting a trophy. If they play like they did Wednesday, anything is possible.