Chicago on Tuesday heads into Rochester, NY, to face the USL Pro division’s Rochester Rhino’s in the 3rd round game of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Fire, on short rest since playing Sunday afternoon, had a travel day on Monday, with no real time to train nor rest before facing Rochester Tuesday night.
The Fire qualified for the tournament proper this season through two play-in game victories, first knocking out the MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids, then defeating the San Jose Earthquakes a month ago at Buck Shaw Stadium in a game that was decided by a shootout. Chicago has won the US Open Cup four times, the last time coming in 2006, and have made winning the Cup a priority in 2011, far before any of the current woes in MLS play beset them. Rochester, however, are no strangers to going deep into Open Cup play, having also won the Cup in 1999, previously defeating Colorado.
Chicago will likely field a different team than was seen in Sunday’s match against NYRB. While Klopas has said numerous times that he wants to present the best team possible for getting the win to advance through Open Cup tournament play, he’s also mindful to balance the game on Tuesday with MLS match play coming up Saturday against Chivas USA, a game that will require cross country travel in the course of a week.
Klopas will certainly use at least a few reservists in the game against Rochester, and it’s a certainty that captain Logan Pause will be out Tuesday, as his concussion is being assessed day by day, although Klopas said he should be ready for Saturday’s game against Chivas. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the likes of Michael Vidiera or Davis Paul in the midfield, although we’re more likely to see Corben Bone somewhere in the mix, as he has come in lately in a substitute role during MLS games. Daniel Paladini, who will miss going back to his hometown and previous MLS club Chivas due to yellow card accumulation, may be set to start in the midfield if he is rested enough to do so. Also likely to see some playing time will be Josip Mikulic and Dasan Robinson, both of whom have not seen playing time lately in MLS play due to injury or being lower on the depth chart, and Cristian Nazarit, just coming off a two-game suspension from his flying elbow in the New England game, will likely start up top, as he will be the most rested Fire forward available.
Section 8 faithful will travel
Chicago has made the US Open Cup tournament every year of their existence, 14 years straight. They’re facing a Rochester side who is hungry to advance, and has made a living in the tournament of knocking off MLS clubs. In fact, since the inception of MLS, the Rhino’s are the only team to win the Cup outside MLS clubs. Chicago will be playing on Rochester’s home pitch at Sahlen’s Stadium, and while there will be a small contingent of Section 8 Chicago’s faithful making the 9 hour drive to support the Men In Red, the Fire will be in enemy territory for sure.
Given the fact that Chicago is on short rest, having just played Sunday and Wednesday previously, and with another game coming up just four days after this USOC match, I thought it might be interesting to project a lineup. I’ve had some fortune in lineup projections this season, so let’s give it a shot.
Here’s my projected lineup for Tuesday night’s match against Rochester:
Goalkeeper: Sean Johnson
Defense: Dasan Robinson, Josip Mikulic, Cory Gibbs, Pari Pantazopolous
Midfield: Bratislav Ristic, Michael Vidiera, Corben Bone, Patrick Nyarko
Forwards: Gabriel Ferrari, Cristian Nazarit
What do you think? Post up your projected lineups below. And good luck to the Fire Tuesday night. Let’s get a win and keep advancing towards our fifth US Open Cup Championship!
EDIT: It’s possible that Gonzalo Segares will miss Tuesday’s game due to a red card infraction received in the game against San Jose. In light of that, I’ve amended my projected lineup.
Images courtesy of Chicago Fire Soccer Club
