The Chicago Fire will look to prove their early success is not a fluke when they visit Atlanta United on Sunday.
The Fire (2-1-4, 10 points) are unbeaten in their last five matches, taking advantage of an early schedule in which they played five of their first seven at home.
But they’ve settled for draws too often in the view of manager Ezra Hendrickson. That includes last weekend when they gave back a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw against the defending Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Union.
“We are at a point where we feel like we’re playing well but we can do better,” Hendrickson said. “Better in the sense of finishing out games a little stronger, and that has to do a little bit with the mentality side of things. Just being, you know, tougher once we get up on a two-goal lead with teams. I think a couple of times, especially at home, we’ve let teams come back into games.”
Swiss 2022 World Cup player and former Liverpool star Xherdan Shaqiri made his return as a substitute against Philadelphia after missing four matches to a hamstring issue. He could make Hendrickson’s starting lineup for the first time since early March. But team-leading scorer Kei Kamara is questionable after Hendrickson said this week he was in the league’s concussion protocol.
Atlanta United (4-1-3, 15 points) could also be short-handed as they try to maintain their own unbeaten home record, with 10 points earned in four games.
Manager Gonzalo Pineda opted not to push young Argentine star Thiago Almada through a minor leg injury in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Toronto FC.
While Almada returned to full training early this week, striker Giorgios Giakoumakis is also questionable after he left that game with an apparent hamstring issue.
Those two have combined for eight goals and five primary assists this season.
Like Chicago, Atlanta also enters this game frustrated at giving back leads in its last two matches, which both finished as draws on the road.
“We’re disappointed with a couple results,” Atlanta winger Derrick Etienne Jr. said. “But that’s something that shows how good of a team we are, that we’re able to go on the road, get a point and be upset about it.”
–Field Level Media
