Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Union: Preseason Gameday Guide & How to Watch

When the Chicago Fire take on Jim Curtin’s Philadelphia Union this afternoon, the team will be without new signing Stanislav Ivanov for the second straight match. Ivanov, who is expected to play a big part in the Fire’s attack this season, is suffering from knee pain, but it’s still unclear if it’s serious.

“He trained with the team again, but he then had again to stop,” Fire head coach Raphael Wicky said. “We are still waiting to see how he feels.”

Like last week, the match stream is available at ChicagoFireFC.com, but only for fans who live within 75 miles of Soldier Field. Tyler Terens, who is in the middle of calling the insanity that is the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, will break away from tournament duties to call today’s match solo.

Other Team Notes

• Wicky also noted that Przemyslaw Frankowski had to leave the team for “family reasons,” but should be back and ready to play today. Frankowski posted on Instagram that his wife recently gave birth to a new baby.
• Álvaro Medrán is also back, and should see some minutes today for the first time this season. He told us this week he’s looking to have a bigger, more impactful 2021 season.
• Team Captain Francisco Calvo is leaving after this match for international duty with Costa Rica. Los Ticos are playing two friendlies in Europe—Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday, March 27 at 12:00 p.m. CT at Bilino Polje Stadium in Sarajevo, and Mexico on Tuesday, March 30 at 3:00 p.m. CT at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium in Vienna, Austria. Calvo will return Wednesday, March 31, and will have to undergo a league-mandated five-day quarantine.
• With Mauricio Pineda already gone with the U-23 U.S. Men’s National Team, Calvo’s absence after this match will be a good chance for Wicky to test his depth in central defense.

Chicago Fire FC vs. Philadelphia Union

Preseason Match #2 | Saturday, Mar. 20 | Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, Clearwater, Fla.

Kickoff: 2 p.m. CT

TV: none

Steaming: ChicagoFireFC.com

Radio: none

Live Twitter Updates: @HotTimeOldTown (from our Ruben Tisch)

Chicago Fire FC Injuries

• OUT: GK - Kenneth Kronholm (tore ACL last season/nearly recovered)
• Stanislav Ivanov (knee)

Remaining Fire Preseason Schedule

March 27 – Chicago Fire FC vs. FC Cincinnati at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate (10:30 a.m. CT)

April 3 – Chicago Fire FC vs. Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium (10:30 a.m. CT) / Return to Chicago

Chicago matches - There may be two more preseason matches once the team gets back to Chicago. They sound likely, but nothing’s finalized yet.