Yes, the Chicago Fire are playing at 8 a.m. CT. No, they’re not in Europe. It’s actually the Fire’s first match of the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex outside Orlando, FL, and the league is scheduling an early morning game every day to beat the Florida summer heat. The match will mark the first time Chicago has played since the coronavirus shutdown in March.
The Fire were supposed to start this tournament last week against Nashville SC, but because both Nashville and FC Dallas had to drop out with coronavirus issues, the Fire switched groups—and schedules—at the last minute.