Friday, June 13

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Sports Mole previews Sunday's MLS clash between Chicago Fire and Nashville SC, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Separated by four points in the top 10 of the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference standings, Chicago Fire and Nashville SC will do battle at Soldier Field on Saturday.

The hosts have climbed up to 10th spot with back-to-back victories, while their visitors sit fourth in the midst of an eight-match league unbeaten streak.

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Match preview

Chicago Fire return to action on Saturday aiming to continue a fine run of form in MLS, having bounced back from a slow start to the season to join the top nine of the Eastern Conference.

They only amassed 13 points from their first 11 attempts in 2025, but the Fire have since added four more notches to their wins column in the last five league outings since mid-May, firstly seeing off Atlanta United and Charlotte FC and progressing to the US Open Cup quarter-finals with a triumph over New England Revolution.

Their momentum would be halted in a 3-1 away loss to New York City FC, but Gregg Berhalter's side quickly bounced back, visiting Orlando City and winning 3-1 thanks to Philip Zinckernagel's early opener and Hugo Cuypers's first-half brace.

An away trip to DC United then followed last weekend, and Berhalter's men again made it back-to-back three-point hauls in style, dishing out a 7-1 beating as Tom Barlow netted a hat-trick alongside goals from Maren Haile-Selassie, Jonathan Bamba, Zinckernagel and Brian Gutierrez.

Having now climbed into the top 10 with that latest triumph and within two points of seventh-placed Orlando City and sixth-placed New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire will aim to keep building momentum and make it three league wins on the bounce and six in their last seven games in all competitions.

They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive in Chicago having not lost across all competitions since mid-April.

After missing out on a playoff place in 2024, Nashville SC have enjoyed a stronger start to the new campaign, currently sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference having earned 29 points from their opening 17 matches.

BJ Callaghan's side have lost just four of those games and have gone unbeaten in eight MLS games and 10 in all competitions since, most recently following up a US Open Cup win over Orlando City with an away triumph against Toronto FC and a pair of draws.

The Coyotes have been pegged back on both occasions in those, twice leading through Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar against Columbus Crew only to draw 2-2, before Surridge had them 2-0 up over New York City FC with a first-half brace before the visitors forced a draw by the same scoreline.

Still sitting fourth but left wounded by those draws, Nashville SC will hope to bounce back to winning ways on Saturday with the chance to leapfrog second-placed FC Cincinnati who are just a point better off.

Chicago Fire form (all competitions):

 

Nashville SC form (all competitions):

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Team News

Gregg Berhalter would have opted to deploy an unchanged Chicago Fire starting XI from their 7-1 thrashing of DC United last time out, but Rominigue Kouame is set to miss out through injury, while David Poreba and Chris Mueller remain out and Chris Brady and Harold Osorio are away on international duty.

In Kouame's likely absence, 20-year-old Sam Williams may come into the midfield alongside Kellyn Acosta and Philip Zinckernagel, who has scored in each of their last five games to move onto seven goals and six assists for the season in 15 MLS appearances.

Tom Barlow will lead the line again after hitting his first three league goals of the campaign last weekend, while Maren Haile-Selassie and Jonathan Bamba are danger men on the wings.

Nashville SC are without defender Walker Zimmermann and Jacob Shaffelburg due to international duty, while Tyler Boyd and Julian Gaines are sidelined by injuries.

Sam Surridge will lead their attack with plenty of confidence, having scored five goals in the last three games to move onto 11 MLS goals for the season, a tally only topped by one player across the two conferences, while Hany Mukhtar is another key attacking threat having contributed seven goals and six assists in 17 appearances.

Edvard Tagseth, Matthew Corcoran and Alex Muyl should all keep their places in midfield, while Jeison Palacios may join Jack Maher at the back in Zimmermann's absence.

Chicago Fire possible starting lineup:

Gal; Dean, Gonzalez, Elliott, Gutman; Williams, Zinckernagel, Acosta; Haile-Selassie, Barlow, Bamba

Nashville SC possible starting lineup:

Willis; Najar, Maher, Palacios, Lovitz; Tagseth, Corcoran, Muyl; Qasem, Surridge, Mukhtar

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We say: Chicago Fire 2-2 Nashville SC

 

Chicago Fire have shown major signs of improvement in mid-May and have the quality to at least match a Nashville SC side who have failed to see out wins in back-to-back games.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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