Toronto limp into the Windy City for their final match before the FIFA World Cup break with nearly half the roster unavailable through injury, winless in eight matches and carrying a 3-5-5 record, good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference.
The upcoming pause arrives at an ideal moment for the Reds, whose injury-depleted squad currently has around a dozen players sidelined or only nearing a return. Before reaching that break, however, they must face an improving Chicago Fire FC side that has quietly become one of the more surprising teams of the 2026 MLS season.
While Chicago’s form has occasionally been uneven, the overall trajectory has clearly been positive. The Fire currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with 23 points from a 7-2-4 record.
Under veteran manager Gregg Berhalter, Chicago have developed into a structured possession-based side that looks to attack quickly through the wide areas before finding star striker Hugo Cuypers in dangerous spaces. Their attack thrives on quick vertical transitions and Cuypers’ movement inside the final third.
Defensively, the Fire have generally been solid despite some inconsistency caused by frequent personnel changes along the back line. Even so, Chicago’s defensive issues pale in comparison to Toronto’s current situation.
One of the key figures behind that stability has been goalkeeper Chris Brady, who is widely viewed as a strong candidate for the United States’ World Cup squad. In front of him is former CF Montréal and Canada men's national soccer team defender Joel Waterman, who has become an important presence in Chicago’s back line.
How Hugo Cuypers performs tends to heavily dictate the fortunes of Chicago Fire FC in any given match.
The Belgian Designated Player is currently putting together an MVP-calibre campaign, recording a remarkable 13 goals in just 10 matches. However, Chicago are far from a one-man team, with Cuypers supported by an impressive attacking cast that includes Robin Lod in midfield alongside wingers Maren Haile-Selassie and Philip Zinckernagel.
Meanwhile, Toronto FC head into Saturday’s clash moving in the opposite direction from their hosts.
There is no avoiding the reality that the Reds are enduring arguably the worst injury crisis in Major League Soccer this season and one of the roughest stretches of form across the league. Toronto have been winless since April 4, dropping 16 of a possible 24 points since their last victory.
At the core of that poor run lies the unprecedented injury situation that has already begun threatening both the club’s ambitions and the patience of an increasingly frustrated fanbase.
Despite the circumstances, head coach Robin Fraser has still managed to get competitive and hard-working performances out of a heavily depleted squad on a near-weekly basis.
Unfortunately for Toronto, those efforts have rarely translated into results, leaving both the team and Fraser under mounting pressure heading into the World Cup break. The scale of the injury crisis has fundamentally altered lineups, expectations and even the overall trajectory of the season. Until key players return consistently, TFC remain stuck in survival mode.
There is finally some positive news emerging, though, as several players could potentially return to the matchday squad this weekend. Markus Cimermancic, Theo Corbeanu, Deandre Kerr, Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and Designated Player striker Josh Sargent are all expected to be game-day decisions for Fraser.
It was also announced today that Toronto FC II call-up Jackson Gilman has officially signed with the Toronto FC first team on a contract running through the remainder of this season, with club options extending into 2027 and 2028.
Gilman, who normally plays as a right-back, was deployed as an emergency centre-back during his MLS debut last weekend and delivered an impressive performance despite the difficult circumstances surrounding Toronto’s injury crisis.
For TFC, the key to this match will revolve first and foremost around player availability. Still, tactically, the Reds must also find a way to contain Chicago Fire FC’s dangerous wide overloads and rapid transitions.
Underlying all of this, however, are the continuing questions surrounding Robin Fraser’s in-game management. Tactical adjustments, substitution timing and personnel decisions have all come under increased scrutiny as Toronto’s difficult stretch has continued.
Availability
For Chicago Fire FC, Leonardo Barroso (lower body) and André Franco (lower body) have both been ruled out, while Jonathan Bamba (non-injury related), Sergio Oregel Jr. (head), and Anton Salétros (head) are all listed as questionable.
Meanwhile, Toronto FC’s injury list remains lengthy despite signs that it may finally be easing slightly ahead of tomorrow night’s match.
Ruled out for the Reds are José Cifuentes (knee), Benjamín Kuscevic (groin), Richie Laryea (thigh), Djordje Mihailovic (pelvis), Matheus Pereira (groin), Lazar Stefanovic (foot), and Henry Wingo (thigh).
Questionable for the match are Markus Cimermancic, Theo Corbeanu, Josh Sargent, Deandre Kerr, and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, though how many of those five are available, and how many minutes they can realistically handle, remains uncertain.
One additional concern for Toronto is captain Jonathan Osorio, who sits one yellow card away from suspension due to accumulation.
Projected XIs
Chicago Fire (4-2-3-1): Chris Brady; Andrew Gutman, Jack Elliott, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Jonathan Dean; Joel Waterman, Mauricio Pineda; Maren Haile-Selassie, Robin Lod, Philip Zinckernagel; Hugo Cuypers.
Toronto FC (4-2-3-1): Luca Gavran; Raheem Edwards, Walker Zimmer, Nickseon Gomis, Walker Zimmerman, Kobe Franklin, Jonathan Osorio, Alonso Coello; Dániel Sallói, Markus Cimermancic, Malik Henry; Emilio Aristizábal.
Game information and how to watch
📆 Saturday, May 23, 2026
⏰ 8:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm PT
📺 Apple TV
⚖️ Sergii Demianchuk
🏟 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States
