After an opening Super Sunday of end-to-end MLS action, the first Friday evening fixture of the 2016 season will feature Orlando City and Chicago Fire. Both teams will be hoping for their first wins of the nascent campaign after not getting their desired results in their respective season-openers.
Orlando City
Orlando City will be coming into this match having secured a draw in certainly one of the most dramatic fashions most MLS fans have seen in a while. In an ill-tempered affair against Real Salt Lake - which saw both teams have a man sent off - Adrian Heath's troops managed an impressive comeback, and grabbed stoppage time goals enough to earn them a point.
Last season saw the Lions finish in seventh in the Eastern Conference and 14th overall in the league, and this term, which is their sophomore campaign, fans will be demanding a better performance. Friday's hosts will be certainly eager to improve on their opening day performance as they welcome Chicago Fire, but they will unfortunately have do so without one of their star players.
Unfortunately, Kaka - who was the club's first ever designated signing - has not recovered from a thigh strain and will be unable to take part in this fixture. Despite the Brazilian's absence, the Lions have shown that at home they are a side not to be taken lightly; in their last five home MLS games, they have netted an impressive ten goals.
Additional absentees include Conor Donovan and David Mateos due to injury and Darwin Ceren will be suspended after getting a red card against Real Salt Lake. However, new signing Antonio Nocerino could make his debut after moving from AC Milan earlier this year.
Chicago Fire
Meanwhile, Chicago Fire will also be seeking to pick up a vital win after losing a 4-3 thriller to NYC FC. The Men in Red - as they are known to their supporters - were quite poor in the 2015 MLS season, in which they finished tenth in the Eastern Conference and 20th overall in the league. As such, their relatively young coach - former Serbian international Veljko Paunovic - will have his work cut out for him this term as he hopes to avoid finishing bottom of the conference and the league again.
With the exception of Eric Gehrig, who is still struggling with a foot injury, and Gilberto, who could be in doubt, Paunovic will have a full-strength squad to choose from. And he will surely need it as Chicago have a very dismal away record. In fact, they have not won a regular season game on the road in their last 25 attempts, with a whopping 18 losses and just seven draws during that period.
Which channel is broadcasting Orlando City vs Chicago Fire on TV or Online?
The famed Citrus Bowl will be hosting this Friday night fixture between Orlando City and Chicago Fire. However, if you're too far away to make it in person, no worries. LiveSoccerTV.com has compiled plenty of options to catch the game via your TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some choices for viewers living in the following countries and/or regions:
- In the USA at 19.00 EST on: MLS Live, Univision Deportes USA, UniMás
- In Canada at 19.00 ET on: MLS Live
Don't find your country or region on this list? Check out our special Orlando City vs Chicago Fire broadcast page to see if there are some viewing times and options for your current location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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