FC Cincinnati return to MLS action Saturday for their first road league trip of the season, taking on Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be shown on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Fans can also listen to the match locally on FOX 1360.

Let’s break down this matchup with key numbers to remember, presented by CTI.

22

With chilly temperatures in the forecast, a return to Soldier Field reminds FC Cincinnati of their visit to the Windy City last season, where FCC played in their coldest match of all time with a snowy kickoff temperature of 22°F on March 18, 2023. 

Despite the frigid temperatures, FCC and the Fire played to a 3-3 draw. Sergio Santos and Junior Moreno scored in the final five minutes to earn the draw after going down at halftime. 

FC Cincinnati have never hosted a match with subzero temperatures at TQL Stadium, but has played nine matches below the 47°F forecasted for kickoff Saturday night on Chicago’s lakefront.

4

FC Cincinnati captain and 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Luciano Acosta leads The Orange and Blue with four goals all-time against Chicago, the most in club history. 

In his last appearance against the Fire, Acosta came on in the 80th minute and immediately made an impact, assisting on an 84-minute goal by Santos and making a key pass in the build-up to Moreno that ultimately equalized the match. 

Saturday’s match would be Acosta’s 14th all-time start against the Fire and his sixth as a member of The Orange and Blue.

270

Entering Saturday's match, FC Cincinnati has yet to allow a goal in all 270 minutes of competitive play in 2024. Roman Celentano has been the man in the net for all three of the fixtures and has made six saves on six attempts from opponents.

At 270 scoreless minutes, Celentano is on his second-longest stretch of shutout soccer in his young career, matching a three-game streak of clean sheets he earned across matches with Nashville, Miami and Philadelphia in March and April of 2023. To surpass his career shutout streak set in that span, Celentano would need to keep Chicago off the scoreboard through the first 48 minutes of the match to equal his longest stretch of 317 minutes, which was snapped in the third minute against St. Louis City SC on April 15 last season. 

The 317 minutes of shutout soccer stands as a club record. Celentano's current stretch across all competitions is the fifth-longest streak in club history. 

.700

FC Cincinnati's 3-1-1 record away to Chicago Fire FC stands as the best away record at any venue in the club's history. The Orange and Blue are undefeated in the Windy City in their last three visits, earning a 2-0-1 record since 2021. 

FCC have a winning record on the road at only six MLS venues in league play, but only at three do they have more wins than losses or draws combined. Chicago is in the top three, with Toronto FC's BMO Field (3-2-0) and Real Salt Lake's (1-0-0) standing out as the only two where FCC has won more than any other result. 

Since Pat Noonan took over as head coach in 2022, FCC has earned points on the road excellently. In 40 road fixtures across all competitions under Noonan, FCC owns a 15-9-16 record, equalling 1.52 points per match. 

6

Chicago Fire FC midfielder Brian Gutiérrez was named to his sixth career MLS team of the matchday for his performance in a 2-2 road draw against Philadelphia Union on opening night. Gutiérrez, a 20-year-old homegrown talent for Chicago, scored his fifth career goal for the Fire and added his 18th career assist.

The Fire opened their season with a draw for the fourth consecutive season on matchday 2 last weekend. Saturday's fixture will also be the earliest home opener in club history, beating last season's March 4 opener by two days.