The Fire’s first real test of the season is on Saturday. The Sounders are firing on all cylinders, scoring 6 goals and giving up only one in two games. Jordan Morris is back at the top of his game and Raul Ruidiaz is top talent. Their defense has given up almost nothing; only one goal to FC Cincinnati in the opener.

The Fire, meanwhile, still have a lot of questions to answer. The fullbacks are still trash. There was no improvement from game one to game two. In fact, Jorge Campos seemed to regress on his performance against the LA Galaxy, rather than build upon it, and the less said Corrales, the better.

The attack, while consistent in that they create plenty of opportunities, is inconsistent in executing on them. Niko missed a few golden opportunities against Orlando, just like Sapong did against LA.

Let’s hope the Fire have done their revisions, gotten a good night’s sleep, and eaten a good breakfast. The test starts at noon.

Take out your pencils

Open your booklets.

And begin.

Chicago Fire all-time MLS record vs Seattle Sounders : 2W-4D-7L, 13 GF / 16GA, 10 pts out of 39

Chicago Fire home MLS vs Seattle Sounders: 2W-2D-3L, 9 GF / 8 GA, 8 pts out of 21

Previously on…

Suggested Lineup

There’s no chance that the Fire play like this. Absolutely none, especially against the front six of the Sounders. But this is how they should line up to maximize their chances of winning. They should stop playing fullbacks all together, and try to maximise their offensive potency.

Keys To The Match

Get Niko on the Score sheet: Nikolic needs to get himself on the scoresheet. Not playing in game one and not scoring in game two means there’s a ton of pressure on his shoulders, form fans, the team, and especially himself. The easiest way to relieve it and get past it is to score a goal.

Keep the Ball: The Fire have had around 60% possession in the first two games. The trend needs to continue into tomorrow’s match. The best way to Stop Seattle from going forward is to make sure they don’t have the ball.

Maximize Set Pieces: The Fire have had a relatively hard time creating set pieces, especially corners. They had only one last week against Orlando. They need to create more of these opportunities, and score when they get these chances. Seattle’s offense is in high gear, and the Fire will need to match it

How To Watch

Television: NA

Streaming: ESPN+ on the ESPN App

Final Thoughts

This game is going to be tough but it has the potential to be the best game you’ll watch on the weekend. It will finish 2-2 leaving the Fire with 3 points going into the international break, next week. Niko and Sapong will split the goals for the Fire. Raul Rudiaz and Jordin Morris will score for the Sounders.