Amidst a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race, Inter Miami travel to meet the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field in a game with enormous postseason implications.
Both teams sit below the playoff cut line, but each side can put themselves in an extremely advantageous position by taking all three points, while defeat would make a playoff chase immeasurably more difficult.
An injury to Lionel Messi has left Inter Miami to scrape out mediocre results as they sit four points back of a postseason berth with four matches remaining. The Fire are level on points with the Montreal Impact who occupy the last playoff spot but sit back on the victories tiebreaker.
If Messi is out once again, it will be up to the rest of the South Florida club to continue the hunt for points down the stretch with a playoff rival on the other side.
MORE: USMNT roster for October friendlies vs Germany, Ghana set to be released tomorrow
Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami live stream, TV channel
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
- TV Channel: — None —
- Streaming: Apple TV+ (MLS Season Pass)
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA
What time does Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami kick off?
This MLS match at Soldier Field kicks off on Wednesday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m. local time in Chicago, Illinois.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Wed, Oct. 4 | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Wed, Oct. 4 | 5:30 p.m. PT |
| UK | Thu, Oct. 5 | 12:30 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Thu, Oct. 5 | 10:30 a.m. AEST |
| India | Thu, Oct. 5 | 6 a.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Thu, Oct. 5 | 8:30 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Thu, Oct. 5 | 8:30 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Thu, Oct. 5 | 8:30 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Thu, Oct. 5 | 12:30 p.m. NZST |
Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami projected lineups & team news
Frank Klopas has rotated his two young attackers, Brian Gutierrez and Jairo Torres along with famed Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri in the attack. He has also done his best to keep his striker stop rolling along with Kei Kamara and Georgios Koutsias alternating up front and MLS veteran Kacper Przybylko coming off the bench.
Injuries to defenders Mauricio Pineda and Miguel Navarro, plus striker Victor Bezerra, will keep them out for today's match, while Chris Mueller is done for the year with a hip problem.
Chicago Fire projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Brady (GK) — Dean, Omsberg, Teran, Navarro — Doumbia, G. Gimenez — B. Gutierrez, Shaqiri, J. Torres — Kamara.
The status of Lionel Messi is uncertain, but it feels unlikely that he will be involved given recent matches. He could, however, be more ready for action over the weekend when Inter Miami face FC Cincinnati.
Inter Miami will definitely be without the services of both Jordi Alba and Leonardo Campana who are both out with muscle injuries. Midfielder Gregore has returned to training after months on the sideline with a foot injury, and could be involved in the coming matches as he ramps up his fitness.
Tomas Aviles is suspended for yellow card accumulation, while Ian Fray and Corentin Jean are both out for the season with ACL injuries.
Inter Miami projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Callender (GK) — Yedlin, Kryvtsov, Miller, Allen — Ruiz, Busquets, Cremaschi — Farias, Martinez, Taylor.
Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami betting odds & lines
| Chicago win | Draw | Inter Miami win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | CHI -0.5 | MIA +0.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | +100 | +270 | +230 | -175 / +125 | -165 / +115 | -110 | -130 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | 2.00 | 3.70 | 3.30 | 1.57 / 2.25 | 1.61 / 2.15 | 1.91 | 1.77 |
