Hot Time In Old Town - 2020 MLS Coverage: Sporting Kansas City vs Chicago FireTRADITION - HONOR - PASSIONhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50655/htiot-fav.png2020-10-07T21:41:31-05:00http://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/rss/stream/212690142020-10-07T21:41:31-05:002020-10-07T21:41:31-05:00Sporting Kansas City 1, Chicago Fire 0: Man of the Match
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<img alt="Chicago Fire FC v Sporting Kansas City" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lGHAcPseNnmEoOdulE0YU0lJc5c=/0x67:3234x2223/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67599242/1279070471.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="5HgNbr">In a game that could best be described as a tough watch, the <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com">Chicago Fire</a> couldn’t find the back of the net and fell 1-0. One of the few bright spots on the night was <span>Djordje Mihailovic</span> who had the best look at goal for the club of the night. He also was strong on the ball, and drew several fouls that lead to good possession and some dangerous sequences. </p>
<p id="nKxI1Q"><em>Now let us know how you saw it. Vote for your choice for MOTM/WOTM in the poll below. The poll will be open for two days, after which we’ll publicize the results. (Note: if you’re viewing this post from AMP or Apple News, you won’t see the poll below. Feel free to tell us your pick in the comments.)</em></p>
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https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2020/10/7/21507061/sporting-kansas-city-1-chicago-fire-0-man-of-the-matchRuben Tisch2020-10-07T21:34:38-05:002020-10-07T21:34:38-05:00Sporting KC 1, Chicago Fire 0: Quick and Dirty Recap
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<img alt="Chicago Fire FC v Sporting Kansas City" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xFisJDTezERlj8FWoO6LtIciT1g=/0x0:4439x2959/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67599224/1279065862.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="H6NKZq"><a href="https://www.thebluetestament.com"><strong>Sporting Kansas City</strong></a><strong> 1 </strong>Reid 67’</p>
<p id="xK2ia3"><a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com"><strong>Chicago Fire</strong></a><strong> 0</strong></p>
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<p id="eaquQ2">Here is your quick & dirty editorial-free recap of the Chicago Fire away match against Sporting Kansas City. The Fire lost 1-0.</p>
<h1 id="icLw4m">67’ 1-0 Reid </h1>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Set piece perfection ✔️<a href="https://twitter.com/WinstonReid2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WinstonReid2</a> uses his size & heads it in to put <a href="https://twitter.com/SportingKC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SportingKC</a> on top. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SKCvCHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SKCvCHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/JHKlWsgqx2">pic.twitter.com/JHKlWsgqx2</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1314025050908000261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2020</a>
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https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2020/10/7/21504972/sporting-kc-1-chicago-fire-0-quick-and-dirty-recapRuben Tisch2020-10-07T08:44:37-05:002020-10-07T08:44:37-05:00Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire: Gameday Guide & How to Watch
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JD8WGSxC5lDKXpsayVtnHIC16PE=/259x0:3615x2237/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67594354/10_06_20_Training_Photos_m27059.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Fabian Herbers | Chicago Fire FC</figcaption>
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<p>The Fire take on Sporting at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+</p> <p id="qEVZaj">Let’s get this part out of the way right away: To watch tonight’s match between the <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com">Chicago Fire</a> and <a href="https://www.thebluetestament.com">Sporting Kansas City</a>, you’ll have to have ESPN+. That’s because the Fire’s usual local TV home, WGN, is broadcasting the Vice Presidential debate. Thus, it’s only streaming on ESPN+. With ESPN+, you get 15 minutes of additional pregame coverage from Tyler Terens and Tony Meola for every match, not just this one, so it’s worth subscribing if you’re a big Fire fan. Tonight’s broadcast starts at 7:15 p.m. CT (<a href="http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/535105/9070?sharedid=HotTimeInOldTown"><strong>sign up using our link</strong></a><strong>, and help support Hot Time!</strong>).</p>
<p id="BE8SpU">Game notes:</p>
<ul>
<li id="20q7Qj">
<span>Johan Kappelhof</span> is back after a lengthy injury delay, and is ready to play. He got a few minutes at the end of the 2-2 draw with Montreal, but should get more minutes tonight. Przemyslaw Frankowski is also off the injury report.</li>
<li id="TY8bn4">Gastón Giménez and Miguel Navarro are both away on international duty in South America. Jonathan Bornstein will likely get the start at left back, but it will be interesting to see which direction Raphael Wicky wants to go in midfield. If Kappelhof is ready to start, Wicky might slot him in in the right center back position, and shift Mauricio Pineda up to DM. If he’s not, we might see Micheal Azira or <span>Brandt Bronico</span> get the start in midfield.</li>
<li id="lNfGOy">With a goal tonight, Robert Berić will break a Fire club record for most consecutive games with a goal, at six. He’s currently tied with David Accam at five.</li>
</ul>
<p id="omrCRs">Other notes:</p>
<ul><li id="Vs7vrX">If you haven’t yet, <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/21504183/fabian-herbers-is-the-chicago-fires-new-fussballgott">you’ll definitely want to check out our story on Fabian Herbers.</a> He talked to us at length about his life growing up in Germany, why he thought he was giving up his dream of playing pro soccer to come to college in the U.S., his struggles in Philadelphia, his successes at Soldier Field this season, and what it was like playing with one of his heroes, <span>Bastian Schweinsteiger</span>.</li></ul>
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<a href="https://www.thebluetestament.com/">Sporting Kansas City</a> vs. <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/"><strong>Chicago Fire</strong></a>
</h2>
<p id="D3Z3jH">Wednesday, October 7, 2020</p>
<p id="aXsJbn">MLS Regular Season Match #16 | Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS</p>
<p id="9bOrah">Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT</p>
<p id="INk5mP">TV: none (WGN is airing the Vice Presidential debate)</p>
<p id="6kgWtC">Streaming: ESPN+ </p>
<p id="kgkKrF">Radio: TUDN 1200AM</p>
<p id="d4YxWM">Live Twitter Updates: <a href="http://twitter.com/HotTimeOldTown"><strong>@HotTimeOldTown</strong></a> (from Ruben)</p>
<p id="g0gFp4">Next Up: Chicago Fire vs. <a href="https://www.blackandredunited.com">D.C. United</a> | Sunday, Oct. 11 | Soldier Field, Chicago | 6:30 p.m. CT | WGN & ESPN+</p>
<h2 id="Q3pYAc">Chicago Fire Injuries</h2>
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<li id="qBLIDI">
<strong>OUT: </strong>GK - Kenneth Kronholm (torn ACL, meniscus tear 8/11, out for season)</li>
<li id="7Vl1qA">
<strong>OUT: </strong>M - Luka Stojanovic (MCL surgery 7/23) </li>
<li id="DEzXw7">
<strong>OUT: </strong>M - Jeremiah Gutjahr (knee injury)</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="Tqvb7m">Sporting KC Injuries</h2>
<ul>
<li id="mFBSUX">
<strong>OUT: </strong>M - Felipe Gutierrez (knee injury 6/9, out for season)</li>
<li id="t1g9Fd">
<strong>OUT: </strong>D - Luis Martins (not medically cleared)</li>
<li id="qV8wx3">
<strong>OUT: </strong>D - <span>Matt Besler</span> (not medically cleared)</li>
</ul>
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https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2020/10/7/21505620/sporting-kansas-city-vs-chicago-fire-gameday-guide-how-to-watchPatrick McCraney2020-10-06T17:17:32-05:002020-10-06T17:17:32-05:00Another Test: Sporting Kansas City vs Chicago Fire MLS Game 15 Preview
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<img alt="Sporting Kansas City v Houston Dynamo" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PJz05vxGoLlrv1SoIeVnu6kqzhA=/0x62:3000x2062/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67591680/1278341048.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="FDx0Sm">The <a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com">Chicago Fire</a>’s first big test in a while is upon us. </p>
<p id="izfeUg"><a href="https://www.thebluetestament.com">Sporting Kansas City</a> come in to this game third in the Western Conference and just a point out of second, and are the first real team the Fire have played in 4 games. As a quick reminder, that game was against <a href="https://www.themaneland.com">Orlando City</a> and the Fire imploded under the pressure, including a disastrous fight over who would take a penalty.</p>
<p id="iTTazw">The good news is that the Fire have seemed to galvanize themselves since then and have come away from it with renewed confidence and 7 points out of 9. Robert Beric has scored a goal in five straight games, and the team as a whole are starting to find the confidence needed to go on and win games. The challenge the Fire now face is that they have to go do that against a good team. A win or even a well fought tie would place them in a level above the muck that is the bottom of MLS, where a loss would leave them as the best of the bad teams. </p>
<p id="6JHwGS">It’s time for another test. </p>
<p id="1ujsfu"><a href="https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/"><strong>Chicago Fire</strong></a><strong> all-time MLS record vs </strong><a href="https://www.thebluetestament.com/"><strong>Sporting Kansas City</strong></a><strong>/Kansas City Wizards: 12W-17D-11L, 91 GF / 67 GA, 53 pts out of 162</strong></p>
<p id="YnBKdv"><strong>Chicago Fire away MLS record vs Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards: 8W-12D-9L, 40GF / 41 GA, 36 pts out of 87</strong></p>
<h1 id="O95AIe">Previously on… </h1>
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<p id="gSXEUO">SKC are proof that in MLS, the line between good and okay is as thin as a piece of string. Before beating Houston last weekend, they had lost two in a row and three of their last 5 games. They lost to the aforementioned Dynamo on September 5th, and lost to <a href="https://www.bigdsoccer.com">FC Dallas</a> on the 19th and <a href="https://www.themaneland.com/">Orlando City</a> on the 23rd </p>
<h1 id="aSYXv5">Suggested Lineup</h1>
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<p id="NnqGlY">Gastón Giménez and Miguel Navarro are gone for the foreseeable future. Between being released to their national teams and the quarantine they have to go through to come back, the Fire will be without them for around 5 games. So what to do? The simple solution is what I did here. Bornstein comes in for Navarro, obviously, and with <span>Johan Kappelhof</span> back, he slots nicely back into his starting CB roll, while Mauricio Pineda moves back to the 6 role, where he played throughout his time in the academy, and in the first game of the season against Seattle, before Giménez got here.</p>
<p id="1YrGbq">The other change I made is putting Sapong into the lineup to try to add some width back into the squad. Their biggest problem against the Impact was their lack of ability to get out wide, and Sapong has the ability to stretch the defense horizontally as well a vertically. That leaves who to take out. Both Djordje and Aliseda are playing really well, so I chose Djordje for Wednesday against KC, but he could very well be in the lineup Saturday. </p>
<h1 id="SBSQyL">Keys To The Match</h1>
<p id="q6U4kZ"><strong>Be Adaptable</strong>: One of the things I noticed during the Fire’s little run the past two weeks is that while they were successful and finally scoring goals, they were a bit one dimensional. A lot of their best moves came from the middle and when the ball went out wide, attacks would wither and die. </p>
<p id="PCDDSp">Teams are starting to figure this team out. We saw it against Montreal and more than likely, we’ll see it against Kansas City. The Fire need to figure out how to successfully go wide and get proper service into Beric and anyone else involved in the attack in order to continue their upward trend.</p>
<p id="bttOFX"><strong>Cover up their Mistakes</strong>: There are going to be changes to the defense Wednesday and possibly more than just slotting Jonny Bornstein in for Navarro. With these changes, there will be taxation and inevitable mistakes in the back. The best the defense can do is make sure that their individual focus and concentration does not waver. The only way they’re coming out of Kansas with points is for the individual players to step up their performance and cover their communication errors with playmaking. </p>
<h1 id="sKbeH0">How To Watch</h1>
<p id="Ge5sQR">Streaming: ESPN+</p>
<h1 id="DGcrXW">Final Thoughts </h1>
<p id="vZmswK">Unfortunately, I don’t think the Fire are ready to win games against good teams, regardless of their current form. This is going to be a lot like their games against Orlando and Columbus. They’re going to fall short after a good fight. </p>
<p id="YtTffF">My prediction: SKC wins 2-1.</p>
https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2020/10/6/21504374/another-test-sporting-kansas-city-vs-chicago-fire-mls-game-15-previewRuben Tisch