FC Cincinnati will look to further strengthen their position at the top of the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference on Saturday, when they welcome Chicago Fire to TQL Stadium.
A 3-1 triumph away at New York City FC last time out saw the hosts move eight points clear at the top of the division after 15 outings, while their visitors sit 12th in the Eastern Conference after back-to-back draws.
Match preview
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After reaching the Conference semi-finals before dropping out of the MLS playoffs last season, FC Cincinnati have certainly enjoyed an eye-catching start to the new campaign, as they currently boast the highest points tally across either division with a healthy lead at the top of the Eastern Conference.
In their 15 league outings thus far, Pat Noonan's side have put 36 points on the board, courtesy of 11 victories, while only suffering a single defeat along the way, albeit in a 5-1 thrashing away at St Louis City in mid-April following a fast start.
They have bounced back from that result in almost flawless fashion since, too, having won six of their last seven MLS games and drawn the other, while they head into the weekend on the back of five straight triumphs, firstly beating DC United, CF Montreal and Columbus Crew on home turf in May.
The Orange and Blue then made it four on the bounce with a 1-0 triumph away at Colorado Rapids, thanks to Dominique Badji's first-half goal, before most recently travelling to take on New York City FC on Wednesday and going 2-0 up through Luciano Acosta and Alvaro Barreal.
Brian Cufre would pull one back for their hosts on the hour mark, but Brandon Vazquez quickly restored their two-goal lead and sealed an 11th win of the season for Noonan's men, who now boast an eight-point lead at the top of their Conference and will look to further strengthen their position and continue their march towards the playoffs with a sixth straight triumph at the weekend.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, have experienced a much slower start to the MLS campaign with just three wins on the board from their opening 15 games, albeit having also only lost four of those.
After a 3-0 beating away at Nashville SC left the Fire on 11 points from 10 matches in early May, manager Ezra Hendrickson was dismissed, and interim boss Frank Klopas was able to begin his tenure positively, as they returned to winning ways at home to St Louis City with Rafael Czichos's first-half goal making the only difference between the sides.
Aiming to make it two in a row for the first time this season, the Illinois outfit then travelled to take on Charlotte FC but were condemned to a 2-1 defeat, despite going ahead through Kacper Przybylko, as Brandon Cambrisge netted two goals in the final 30 minutes for the hosts.
Klopas's men now head into Saturday's trip on the back of three straight MLS draws in the aftermath of that defeat, while also progressing in the US Open Cup with a 2-0 triumph away at Austin FC after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Atlanta United.
They would then travel to New England Revolution and again share points after the same scoreline, having initially led 2-0 and then gone 3-2 up through Maren Haile-Selassie, only to be pegged back by a Jozy Altidore leveller seven minutes from time, before most recently travelling to Toronto FC and playing out a goalless stalemate, and now sitting 12th with a three-point gap up to the top nine, the Fire will be keen to end their winless run with a surprise result on Saturday.
Team News
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Following another victory last time out, we should again see a very similar FC Cincinnati starting XI on Saturday, and with defender Nick Hagglund remaining sidelined by injury, Ian Murphy will likely continue to join Matt Miazga and Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Yerson Mosquera in a back three.
Brandoz Vazquez will again lead the line after hitting his fourth league goal of the season in the victory over New York City FC, with Dominique Badji likely to join him up front in a 3-4-2-1 setup in the absence of Sergio Santos.
It is captain and attacking midfielder Luciano Acosta who has been the star man going forward thus far, having contributed six goals and two assists in 14 MLS appearances this term, and he will again play a key role, while Junior Moreno will likely be joined in the engine room by Obinna Nwobodo, who returns to action after serving a suspension last time out.
Chicago Fire are set to come into Saturday's game without goalkeeper Chris Brady, who was forced off in the first half of their meeting with Toronto last time out, and after coming on in his place, Spencer Richey should line up between the sticks from the outset this weekend.
He should be shielded by an unchanged back three of Arnaud Souquet, Rafael Czichos and Kendall Burks, after they saw out a hard-fought clean sheet in that meeting, while Gaston Gimenez and Federico Navarro will again partner up in the engine room.
Veteran forward Kei Kamara will continue to lead the line, having netted four league goals so far this season, while former Liverpool man Xherdan Shaqiri is another key man on the right flank, with Kacper Pyzybylko expected to displace Georgios Koutsias and complete the front three.
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Mosquera, Miazga, Murphy; Arias, Nwobodo, Moreno, Barreal; Acosta; Vazquez, Badji
Chicago Fire possible starting lineup:
Richey; Souquet, Czichos, Burks; Haile-Selassie, Gimenez, F Navarro, M Navarro; Shaqiri, Kamara, Przybylko
We say: FC Cincinnati 3-1 Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire do have the ability to cause their hosts problems on Saturday, having hit three goals in two of their last three outings, but we anticipate them being too vulnerable defensively and not having enough to take a result against the MLS' form side.
Now full of confidence on the back of five consecutive league wins, Pat Noonan's men will back themselves to again come out on top on home turf.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
