Preview: Chicago Fire vs New England Revolution - prediction, team news, lineups

The Chicago Fire can move back into a playoff position with a victory on Saturday against the New England Revolution in MLS action at SeatGeek Stadium.

Both sides are on the outside of the post-season picture in the Eastern Conference, with Chicago a point below that line following a 4-0 defeat at the Philadelphia Union, while the Revs are nine points back of that mark after a 2-1 loss to Charlotte FC.

Match preview

With seven matches remaining, the Fire are still in the hunt for a post-season berth, a rarity for them at this stage of a campaign in recent years.

Last Saturday, their five-game unbeaten run in regular-season play came to an end, along with their nine-match scoring streak across all competitions.

While the last one was a forgettable game for the Fire, Gregg Berhalter’s men are still in control of their playoff destiny, with two games in hand on the New York Red Bulls, who they trail by just a single point.

The Fire have points in three successive MLS home games and will equal their number of home triumphs from the previous campaign (five) with their next one.

Berhalter’s aggressive approach has had a polarizing effect on this team, who are one of three Eastern Conference sides with at least 50 goals scored, however they have given up the fourth-most (48).

They are unbeaten in their last three MLS affairs played in Bridgeview, suffering just one regular-season defeat at SeatGeek Stadium since September 2022.

Time is running out for the Revolution to get above the post-season line, with six matches remaining and plenty of ground to make up.

Consistency was not a strong suit of theirs throughout the summer, winning just two of their previous 13 games in this competition, collecting points in only four of those instances.

All they need is a single point between now and the end of the campaign to surpass their total from 2024 (31), though at the moment they are in a position to miss the playoffs for a third time in four years.

Five of their eight wins domestically in 2025 have come away from home, with Caleb Porter’s men collecting points in nine of their previous 11 league contests on the road.

Unfortunately, they have been on the wrong side of numerous narrow scorelines in 2025, losing nine of their 13 domestic affairs by a single goal.

Illinois, however, seems to bring them good fortune, as New England have earned points in six consecutive matches against the Fire as the visitors.

Chicago Fire Major League Soccer form:

New England Revolution Major League Soccer form:

Team News

A heart problem will keep Chris Mueller on the Chicago sidelines for the remainder of the season, and David Poreba is unlikely to return anytime soon due to his torn ligaments.

Berhalter made one change to his starting 11 against the Union, bringing in Christopher Cupps to replace Carlos Teran, who was transferred to Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense late last month.

New England were without Eric Klein against the Crown, as he had a head injury, while Matt Polster was suspended but is eligible to return on Saturday.

Ignatius Ganago had the only goal for them a week ago, and Carles Gil surpassed 16,000 minutes played in the regular season, only the ninth player in Revs history to achieve that feat.

Chicago Fire possible starting lineup:

Brady; Barroso, Cupps, Elliott, Gutman; Oregel, D’Avilla, Gutierrez; Zinckernagel, Cuypers, Bamba

New England Revolution possible starting lineup:

Turner; Feingold, Ceballos, Fofana, Miller; Langoi, Polster, Yusuf, Ganago; Campana, Gil

We say: Chicago Fire 2-1 New England Revolution

The Fire have a lot more motivation this time around than in past seasons, and we expect their scoring depth will enable them to prevail in what is a massive game for both teams.

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