SKC vs CHI: Current form and history
SKC vs CHI: Current form and history
The games just keep coming for Sporting Kansas City. When the Sporting Blue takes on Chicago Fire tonight at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, it will be their fifth match in 14 days. And no, the action isn’t done after that. From July 4 to August 4, Sporting KC will once again have a ridiculous stretch of matches, playing 10 games in the period of 32 days. It won’t get any easier, so let’s take this one opponent at a time.
Like most teams in the league, Chicago Fire have struggled on the road this season going 2-4-1. Making matters even worse, they have lost four straight away from home, including a U.S. Open Cup match to PDL-side Michigan Bucks.
However, the all-time series in Kansas City is tied up at 7-7-7, so Chicago’s road woes haven’t applied recently to Kansas City as the last time Sporting KC beat Chicago in KC was in 2007.
To get an even further look at Chicago Fire, here are some numbers from their last couple wins.
Chicago won their last two matches against New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew at Toyota Park. Surprisingly, they had less than 40 percent possession in each of those games. Instead of possessing the ball, they were very efficient on goal which is what counts in the end. Against Columbus they only had two shots on net (in part to an early red card), yet scored two goals and against New York they hit the target on seven of 13 attempts for three goals.
On the other hand, Sporting KC tends to control possession every game no matter the result and they are near the bottom in shots allowed on target in MLS.
That’s exactly what we could see tonight, Sporting KC controlling the game and Chicago getting a couple chances on net. The question will be if they can put them past Jimmy Nielsen or not.
No matter what, it will be a battle at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Sporting KC is coming off a tough loss at Philadelphia and will be eager to move back atop the Eastern Conference standings with a draw or win. As for Chicago, they sit five points and one spot behind SKC in the table looking to gain some ground.