New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire: Forsberg, Lewandowski Headline MLS Matchday 21
New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire meet on Saturday, August 22, for the second leg of the Red Bulls’ three-match homestand, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET in MLS Regular Season Matchday 21. The Red Bulls return to their usual Sports Illustrated Stadium home after a midweek date with Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC, while Chicago Fire arrive as one of the conference’s form sides, sitting fourth in the table on 29 points.
Team News and Injury Latest
Michael Bradley’s Red Bulls continue without goalkeeper A.J. Marcucci, who remains sidelined with a knee injury. Rafael Mosquera is listed as questionable due to a thigh issue, leaving his availability in doubt for the wide positions. No suspension concerns cloud the home selection, and captain Emil Forsberg—fresh from scoring in back-to-back MLS matches—is expected to lead the attack again after netting his 23rd franchise goal.
Chicago Fire have three confirmed absentees: André Franco (lower body) and Mbekezeli Mbokazi (lower body) are ruled out, while Chris Mueller is also unavailable for a reason listed as “Not Due to Injury.” Midfielder Sergio Oregel Jr. carries a questionable tag with his own lower-body problem. The Fire’s forward line, spearheaded by Robert Lewandowski, remains intact as the Polish striker looks to extend a scoring run that has helped Chicago win four consecutive matches across all competitions.