Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: BetUS
Separated by just four points in the congested top half of the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference, Chicago Fire and Nashville SC lock horns at Soldier Field on Saturday.
Chicago have surged into 10th place thanks to consecutive victories, breathing life into their playoff push. Meanwhile, Nashville arrive in strong form themselves, sitting fourth after putting together an impressive eight-match unbeaten run in league play.
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire return to action on Saturday looking to extend their impressive run of form in Major League Soccer, having turned around a sluggish start to the 2025 campaign to push themselves into the top nine of the Eastern Conference.
After collecting just 13 points from their opening 11 league games, the Fire have found their rhythm since mid-May, picking up four wins in their last five MLS outings. That purple patch began with back-to-back victories over Atlanta United and Charlotte FC, followed by a US Open Cup triumph against New England Revolution to reach the quarter-finals.
A 3-1 defeat to New York City FC briefly interrupted their momentum, but Gregg Berhalter’s men responded in style with a 3-1 win at Orlando City, where Philip Zinckernagel opened the scoring before Hugo Cuypers struck twice before half time. They built on that with a stunning 7-1 demolition of DC United last weekend, a match in which Tom Barlow bagged a hat-trick and was ed on the scoresheet by Maren Haile-Selassie, Jonathan Bamba, Zinckernagel and Brian Gutierrez.
Now sitting 10th in the conference and within touching distance of the playoff places—just two points off both sixth-placed New York Red Bulls and seventh-placed Orlando—Chicago Fire will aim to make it three consecutive league wins and six victories from their last seven in all competitions.
Team News
Berhalter may have been inclined to name an unchanged side after that emphatic win, but injury to Rominigue Kouame rules the midfielder out of contention, ing David Poreba and Chris Mueller on the sidelines. Chris Brady and Harold Osorio are also unavailable due to international commitments.
With Kouame absent, 20-year-old Sam Williams is a strong candidate to step into midfield alongside Kellyn Acosta and the red-hot Philip Zinckernagel, who has found the net in five straight games and now boasts seven goals and six assists in just 15 league appearances.
Up front, Tom Barlow will continue to lead the line after opening his MLS in emphatic fashion with a treble against DC, flanked by the dangerous Haile-Selassie and Bamba in what is becoming one of the most dynamic front threes in the league.
Nashville SC
They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive in Chicago boasting a 10-match unbeaten streak across all competitions dating back to mid-April.
After failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2024, Nashville SC have enjoyed a much-improved 2025 campaign under BJ Callaghan, currently sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference with 29 points from their first 17 MLS fixtures. Callaghan’s men have only suffered four defeats all season and have not lost in their last eight league games, with their unbeaten run stretching to 10 matches when including the US Open Cup.
Following a cup victory over Orlando City, the Coyotes picked up a hard-fought away win at Toronto FC before playing out back-to-back 2-2 draws. The first saw Sam Surridge** and Hany Mukhtar twice give them the lead against reigning champions Columbus Crew, only to be pegged back each time. In their most recent outing, Surridge’s first-half brace against New York City FC looked to have them on course for another win, but a second-half fightback from the visitors denied them the full three points once again.
Despite those consecutive draws, Nashville remain well-positioned in the standings, just a point behind second-placed FC Cincinnati.
Team News
Nashville SC will travel to Soldier Field on Saturday missing a few key names, with Walker Zimmermann and Jacob Shaffelburg both away on international duty, and Tyler Boyd and Julian Gaines sidelined due to injury.
Despite the absentees, Sam Surridge will spearhead the attack brimming with confidence, having struck five goals in his last three appearances to climb to 11 MLS goals this season—a tally bettered by only one player across both conferences. Alongside him, Hany Mukhtar continues to be a talismanic presence in the final third, chipping in with seven goals and six assists in 17 outings.
In midfield, Edvard Tagseth, Matthew Corcoran, and Alex Muyl are expected to retain their starting roles, providing a solid balance of energy, ball-winning and distribution in the middle of the park.
At the back, Zimmermann’s absence may prompt Jeison Palacios to slot in alongside Jack Maher at centre-back, with the visitors looking to keep things tight against a free-scoring Chicago Fire side.
Conclusion
Chicago Fire have displayed notable progress since mid-May and possess the quality to at least hold their own against a Nashville SC side that has struggled to close out victories in consecutive matches.
Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: BetUS
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