FC Cincinnati surge while Chicago Fire face uncomfortable truths | OneFootball

Looking to get back to winning ways in the Major League Soccer season, the Chicago Fire will host FC Cincinnati in the ninth round of regular season. It's three games in a row without a win for the hosts, while the visitors are showing signs of intense recovery after a very difficult start.

Chicago Fire having a tough time this season

Chicago Fire FC v Inter Miami FC | Michael Miller/ISI Photos/GettyImages

Chicago Fire disappointed last season with just one win in 13 games during the calendar and started the season in better form with three wins and a draw. However, coach Gregg Berhalter is starting to be questioned for not winning a game since the 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, coming close to a month without a win.

With 12 points in the standings, the Chicago Fire failed to turn their offensive dominance into real scoring chances against Inter Miami in the last round, dropping down the standings. While the attack isn't producing enough goals, the defense is increasingly being singled out as the main problem with only one game without conceding during the current season.

The main absentees in the line-up will be Chase Gasper (ankle) and Leonardo Barroso (groin), joining David Poreba (knee) and Jonathan Dean (chest) in the medical department. Another casualty will be Chris Mueller, who remains out for personal reasons. The standout performer is Belgian Hugo Cuypers, who has been involved in 14 of the team's goals this season.

FC Cincinnati have improved a lot in recent games

D.C. United v FC Cincinnati | Hannah Foslien/GettyImages

On the other hand, FC Cincinnati are one of the teams with the most games this season due to their participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup, having to deal with an extremely short schedule in all competitions. However, this "problem" ended after the defeat to Tigres, with two wins, one draw and two defeats in all.

The recent record in the MLS shows that the schedule was really getting in the way of Cincinnati's season, as they picked up 10 of the 12 points available after losing to Charlottte in their first match after the end of the Concacaf tournament campaign. But what really stands out is their defensive solidity with four games without conceding a goal, the longest streak of any MLS team.

The absentees in FC Cincinnati's line-up are Yuya Kubo (knee) and Obinna Nwobodo (posterior thigh), both of whom have suffered injuries since last month. However, the biggest absentee will be Evander, who suffered a knee injury and is still not close to returning.