SET THE STAGE: FC Dallas vs. Chicago Fire FC | 4.2.22

FRISCO, Texas - For the first time since 2019, FC Dallas and Chicago Fire FC contest the Brimstone Cup this Saturday, April 2 at 2:30PM at Soldier Field.

Here's everything you need to know before the game.

How to Watch

TV (Spanish): Saturday's game will be broadcast in Spanish on TUDN and Univision beginning at 2:30PM CT.

Stream (English): The match will also be streamed in English on MLS's Twitter account.

LISTEN

English: If you can't watch the match, you can listen to all the action on FCDallas.com/Radio. FCD Radio host Sam Hill will be joined by the commentary duo of Owen Newkirk and Steve Davis for the match along with pregame and postgame coverage.

Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon will call the game in Spanish on 1270AM, starting at 2:30PM CT.

Match Overview

HEAD-TO-HEAD

• FCD record: 2-1-1 (7 points - 5th in West)
• CHI record: 2-0-2 (8 points - 3rd in East)
• FCD vs. CHI all-time: 22-4-17 (77 goals scored, 69 goals conceded)
• FCD vs. CHI all-time away: 8-13-2 (31 goals scored, 42 goal conceded)

STORY LINES

Away Points
FC Dallas goes on the road for the second time this season after falling 1-0 in its first away match to New England Revolution on March 5. Dallas entered the international break in great form, earning back-to-back home wins over Nashville SC (2-0) and Portland Timbers (4-1). But to get its first win on the road, Dallas will need to topple the unbeaten Chicago Fire, a team that looks reinvigorated under new head coach Ezra Hendrickson. The teams met in preseason and played to a scoreless draw in Austin. Another draw and a point in Chicago wouldn't be a bad result by any means, but three points would go a long way in maintaining the momentum FCD built up over the second half of March.

• Nico Estevéz: "We have to keep playing the same way we have been and keep improving every week. We know we did good things against Portland but there are other things we needed to improve. We've used these two weeks to improve in certain areas that the team needed."

Roster Depth
Although FCD had an extra week of prep ahead of its trip to Chicago, the team was without forwards Jesús Ferreira, Paul Arriola and Szabolcs Schön due to international duty. While they'll be back for the game, the lack of FCD team training and extensive travel could affect their game-readiness. Ferreira, FCD's leading scorer, featured in all three games for the USMNT, starting and scoring against Panama on Sunday, March 27. Arriola also started and scored against Panama, but left the game at halftime and didn't feature in the final qualifier due to "left groin soreness". His availability for the Chicago match is still up in the air. Still, Dallas' coach and players feel the squad has the necessary depth to handle any potential absences.

• Ema Twumasi: "Obviously, losing those players to the national team is big but I feel like the depth on the team is very good, with good players in every position, so it shouldn't be a problem. It's been a very good week preparing for Chicago and hopefully we get those guys back in to help on the weekend."

Chicago's Defense
FC Dallas' attack came to life two weeks ago against Portland with three first-half goals courtesy of Jesús Ferreira in the eventual 4-1. But maintaining that won't be easy against a Chicago team that holds the best defensive record in MLS with just one goal conceded from its opening four games. Having been shutout against the Fire once already in preseason, Dallas will need to be its best in the final third to create sufficient goal-scoring chances.

• Nico Estévez: “I think we have to keep improving our build up, how we occupy the spaces in between the lines, and also how we threaten the opponent's backline. It's something we did very well against Portland and something we want to keep improving. We'll try to dominate the game and occupy the spaces in the right moments with the right players to keep breaking down opponents like we did against Portland."