Real Salt Lake vs Chicago Fire
August 4, 2018; Rio Tinto Stadium
8:00 p.m. MT; KMYU, KSL.com, KSL app
RSL (9-9-4, 31 points); CHI (6-12-5, 23 points)
Player to Watch – Nemanja Nikolic won the MLS Golden Boot with 24 goals last season. While Atlanta’s Josef Martinez is running away from the pack with 24 goals already this season, Nikolic’s 10 goals in just 35 shots has him among the most efficient strikers in the league. Last week, he had a streak of goals in four straight matches snapped when he was kept off the scoresheet against Toronto, but he is showing to be in-form for the Fire.
Matchup to Watch – It’s a rematch of the 2014 World Cup as Kyle Beckerman meets Sebastian Schweinsteiger in the midfield. While the U.S. had a strong showing against Schweinsteiger’s Germany, the Germans went on to win 1-0 on their path to the World Cup championship. This time around, the duo meet in a midseason clash of teams looking to dig in and find their form for a playoff push. Schweinsteiger has three goals and six assists for the Fire, already matching his total from his first MLS season last year.
All-Time Record – RSL is 6-7-7 all-time against the Fire, including a 2-1-2 mark in five matches at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Last 5 Head-to-Head – Real Salt Lake is 3-1-1 in the last five matches against Chicago. In that stretch, RSL has held a 9-7 scoring edge. A 2-0 defeat in frigid Bridgeview last year ended a five-match unbeaten streak for RSL against the Fire.
Last 5 Overall – Chicago was right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race until taking zero points from five matches in July. With losses in the last five matches – and being outscored 15-7 in the process – the Fire is looking to get back on track.
