I was going to dump a lot of feelings about Fire vs Revs and what this fixture used to me. And then Mick went and beat me to the punch.

All I’ll add to that is this: previous iterations of MLS had their share of problems, but there was a lot of good and exciting stuff there too, and I worry about what we’re losing as we chase after every shiny new thing. Good fortune in this league is fleeting— just ask Atlanta United— but history is a thing that can be built to last. I’m not sure if the league, or certain individual owners, really get that.

What I am sure of is that this fixture used to mean something. It didn’t slide into irrelevance on its own. It was allowed to happen, by people who could’ve prevented it by making different choices.

Chicago Fire all-time MLS record vs New England Revolution: 26W-13D-21L, 85 GF / 80 GA, 91 pts out of 180

Chicago Fire home MLS record vs New England Revolution: 16W-9D-5L, 55 GF / 36 GA, 57 pts out of 90

Previously on…

Like the Fire, the Revs have taken one point— one measly point— from their last three games. Tonight should be exciting.

Suggested Lineup

Ousted; Gutjahr, Kappelhof, Marcelo, Calvo; Schweinsteiger, McCarty; Katai, Gaitán, Sapong, Nikolic

I really don’t think this is what the lineup will look like. I’m pretty sure Frankowski is going to be playing fullback again and Gutjahr will remain in the doghouse. But, this is what I would do.

Keys To The Match

Somebody PLEASE Score: Our forward line is too good to not be banging in goals. Against a team that’s given up thirteen goals in three games? There’s no excuse.

Come Up With A Defending Philosophy And Stick To It: Are we a zonal defense team? Or do we man-mark? I don’t care which one, but we seem to keep trying to have it both ways. Please just pick one. They Revs can’t score for shit right now, so if we want to try something new this could be a good time to do it.

No Pressure: This is one of those games where we can probably get a good result so long as we don’t make any glaring mistakes. Unfortunately, we’re the Fire. So... maybe just don’t do the thing.

How To Watch

Television: N/A

Streaming: ESPN+

Final Thoughts

I’m going to say 1-0 win for the Fire. But I’m not super confident about it. We could just as easily drop points.

How are you feeling ahead of kickoff? Let us know in the comments!