Chicago Fire defender Johan Kappelhof is the only Fire player who has started and played all 16 regular season games this year. The Dutchman has been the mainstay of the defensive line since his arrival in 2016 and has proved pivotal especially when other defenders have suffered injuries.
However, against Colorado last Wednesday, the 27-year-old was given a red card for a high-booted challenge and will not be able to play in the upcoming match against Seattle Sounders FC.
Before the red card, Kappelhof had played the full 90 minutes in 44 of the Fire’s last 45 regular season matches (playing 80 minutes in a 4-0 victory against the Vancouver Whitecaps in July 2017), a streak that also included full shifts in the last 31-straight games.