Our prediction for this MLS match:
Sporting Kansas City will be aiming to make amends for a heavy 4-0 loss to Los Angeles FC when they take on Chicago Fire at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday morning. The Wizards are eager to overtake Seattle Sounders in top position in the standings, and they are likely to go all guns blazing at Chicago. Sporting Kansas City are on a four-game winless run in the Major League Soccer, but this clash could be the turning point for the hosts. Espinoza in banned for the match, while Isimat-Mirin and Lindsey are out of contention with injuries.
Both Salloi and Kinda, who represented their national teams in the 2022 WC qualifiers, should miss out as well. Chicago Fire, on the other hand, quickly bounced back from a 1-0 loss to Orlando City, with the team beating New York Red Bulls thanks to Robert Beric’s goal. Even though Aliseda and Kronholm should be the only absentees in the away team, we are tempted to put our money on Sporting as Chicago are not enjoying a season to remember.
Highlighted Player (Felipe Gutierrez):
Filipe Gutierrez is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga side Real Betis. The Chilean international is capable of playing as both attacking and left midfielder as well and he started his senior career at Universidad Catolica.
He scored 19 goals in 65 appearances for los Cruzados, but in 2012 he decided to move to Europe. Gutierrez signed a deal with Eredivisie side Twente in June 2012 for a fee of $4 million. After making 94 league appearances for Twente he joined La Liga team Real Betis on 6 July, 2016. Felipe Gutierrez won Copa America with Chile in 2015 as La Roja defeated star-studded Argentina in the title game. Speaking of his club honours, Gutierrez won the 2010 Primera division de Chile trophy with Universidad Catolica.
It has to be noted that he was named Most Valuable Player of the Eredivisie for the 2013/2014 campaign. Felipe Gutierrez earned his 27th cap for Chile in a 4-1 win over Venezuela in the World Cup qualifiers in March 2016.
Highlighted Team (Chicago Fire):
Based in the suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, Chicago Fire is a professional soccer club who compete in Major League Soccer. Chicago Fire were founded on October 8, 1997 and one year later they won the MLS Cup by beating D.C. United (2-0) in the title game. The club play their home games at Toyota Park, the venue that was opened on June 11, 2006. Chicago Fire won four U.S. Open Cups (1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006) and in 2009 they were beaten by UANL Tigres in the North American Superliga final.
The likes of Chris Armas, DeMarcus Beasley, Brian McBride, Eric Wynalda and Frank Klopas are some of the notable footballers who played for Chicago Fire in the past. It has to be noted that a number of veterans were part of the club as well: Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Pavel Pardo, Piotr Nowak, Hristo Stoichkov and Lubos Kubik.
The club’s official colors are red and white and they are nicknamed Men in Red. Veljko Paunovic, who won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup with Serbia, is one of the club’s most famous coaches.