Chicago Fire v D.C. United: Lesesne looking up as playoff charge continues

Troy Lesesne is only looking up as D.C. United look to continue their playoff push against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, having won three of their last four games in MLS to close on the wild-card spots.

D.C. beat Toronto FC 3-1 last time out, with Dominique Badji and Gabriel Pirani netting late on to decide a game that remained level with 88 minutes played.

Lesesne’s team are now 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, three points clear of 14th-placed Chicago and two adrift of Atlanta United in the final wild-card place.

“We’re not going to back down,” Lesesne said. “We still realise there’s a lot to play for in 2024, but while there’s an opportunity, we have to make the most of it.

“When it goes 1-1 like that, you have a choice. But for us, it’s never a choice. We’re going to keep trying to push.”

Chicago, meanwhile, saw their own playoff hopes dented by a 4-1 defeat to pacesetters Inter Miami last time out, with Luis Suarez netting twice for the Herons.

Boss Frank Klopas knows the Fire have no time to dwell on that result, saying: “We have to rebound. With the performance, we could have been better against Miami, but I just felt the mistakes we made cost us.

“We let the game get out of hand. It’s just about keeping things tight, not giving up more than one goal per game, because we will always get opportunities.

“Now every game, we’ve talked about the importance of it. Other than Miami every game is against someone fighting for those spots in the playoffs.

“We’ll prepare well this week and make the right decisions about who we put out on the field.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chicago Fire – Georgios Koutsias

Koutsias came off the bench to score the Fire’s lone goal in their defeat to Miami last Saturday.

Three of Chicago’s last seven MLS goals have been scored by substitutes after only one of the club’s first 26 regular-season goals in 2024 were netted by substitutes.

Three goals in four matches for Koutsi #cf97 | @CelsiusOfficial pic.twitter.com/Ly5Y1OYe2d

— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) September 1, 2024

D.C. United – Gabriel Pirani

D.C., meanwhile, had three substitutes score in their victory over Toronto last time out, including Pirani.

Pirani has three goals in MLS this season, with only Christian Benteke – the league’s leading scorer with 17 – outperforming him for D.C.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHICAGO FIRE WIN

Chicago have failed to win any of their last five matches in all competitions (one draw, four losses), following their 4-1 home defeat to Miami last time out.

They have scored in each of those games, though, and might fancy their chances of a different result against a D.C. team with just three wins in 18 away league games (seven draws, eight losses), a run that dates back to early July 2023.

Chicago are unbeaten in nine straight home matches against D.C. (three wins, six draws), last losing to them on their own turf in June 2015. This is their longest active home unbeaten run against any team in regular-season play.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chicago Fire – 44%

D.C. United – 29.2%

Draw – 26.8%