The Chicago Fire couldn’t get the job done at Houston on Decision Day, so in spite of favorable Eastern Conference results, they’ll have to host the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday in a winner-take-all knockout round playoff game. As scripted in the MLS storybooks, captain and star defensive midfielder Dax McCarty will get to play against his former team in the first round, adding more compelling storylines to an already-intriguing tactical matchup.
Lineups
Chicago Fire:
It’ll be a 4-2-3-1 from Chicago, with McCarty anchoring the midfield next to either 18-year-old Djordje Mihailovic or the questionable Bastian Schweinsteiger, who said before Sunday that he hopes to play in the Fire’s first playoff game.