Our prediction for this MLS match:
Toronto play host to Chicago Fire at their BMO Field in what is expected to be a close Major League Soccer game. The Reds are eyeing their third consecutive win at home ground, and they are likely to stick to their attacking style of play. Keep in mind, though, that all Akinola, Altidore, Endoh, Nelson, Pozuelo, and Priso-Mbongue are sidelined with injuries. A man to watch in the home team will be Venezuela international Soteldo, who is likely to prove a handful for the opposition defenders.
Chicago Fire, on the other hand, aim to build on a 2-0 win over New York City. The visitors are eyeing their third consecutive clean sheet, but preventing Toronto from scoring at BMO Field is easier said than done. Both Calvo and Gutierrez remain in the recovery room, while Sunday’s game comes too early for Germany international Kronholm.
Highlighted Player (Laurent Ciman):
Laurent Ciman is a Belgium international who plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer. The defender who was born in Farciennes on August 5, 1985 played for Charleroi from 2004 to 2008 and he made no less than 85 league appearances for the Belgian outfit.
During the 2007/2008 season he was on Club Brugge’s radar and in the summer of 2008 he joined the Blauw-Zwart. After ending his loan spell with Kortijk Laurent Ciman joined fellow Belgian club Standard Liege and he spent five seasons at Stade Maurice Dufrasne. On January 22, 2015 the defender signed a three-year contract with MLS club Montreal Impact and he has been playing for the Canadian outfit ever since.
Ciman represented Belgium at the 2008 Olympics and he did remarkably well to make Belgium 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. However, he was unused at the showpiece tournament in Brazil. The Montreal Impact footballer scored his first ever goal for Belgium in June, 2016 in a 3-2 victory over Norway.
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.