In what has been billed as a do-or-die game for both sides, New York City FC desperately need a win against the Chicago Fire on Saturday at Citi Field to keep their faint MLS Cup playoff hopes alive.
A 2-0 defeat to DC United prior to the international break has put NYCFC in a precarious spot, with their playoff prospects looking grim heading into Decision Day.
The Pigeons need a big stroke of luck to make it through. They need a win coupled with slip-ups from city-rivals NYRB and Charlotte in order to punch their ticket to the Wild Card game.
Chicago Fire, on the other hand, have a much more straightforward route, as they need a victory combined with the Red Bulls dropping points to book a ticket to the next round following a 2-0 defeat against Charlotte.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
NYCFC vs Chicago kick-off time
| Date: | October 21, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 6:00pm ET/ 3:00 pm PT |
| Venue: | Citi Field |
NYCFC and Chicago Fire face off on October 21, 2023 at Citi Field in Queens, New York, USA. Kickoff is set for 6:00 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 3:00 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch NYCFC vs Chicago online - TV channels & live streams
 | Apple TV | Watch here |
The game will be available to watch and stream worldwide on Apple TV, through the MLS Season Pass.
Fans who cannot watch the game can follow the live updates on GOAL, while highlights of the game will be uploaded to the official MLS YouTube channel.
Team news & squads
NYCFC team news
Numerous NYCFC players are likely to be unavailable for their final MLS fixture of the regular season, including Maxi Moralez, who has torn his meniscus. Cody Mizell is sidelined with a lower body injury, while Alfredo Morales, and Tayvon Gray are both doubtful for Saturday's clash.
New York City FC possible XI: Freese; Gray, Martins, Risa, O'Toole; Perea, Sands; Jasson, Rodriguez, Ledezma; Bakrar
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Barraza, Freese |
| Defenders: | Martins, Sands, Chanot, Alfaro, Owusu, Benalcazar, Amundsen, Cufre, McFarlane, Ilenic, Turnbull |
| Midfielders: | Perea, Haak, Rodriguez, Magno, Jasson, Pereira, Denis |
| Forwards: | Bakrar, Segal, Fernandez, Martinez, O'Toole, Pellegrini |
Chicago Fire team news
Chicago Fire will be missing Gaston Gimenez, who is suspended for this critical encounter due to yellow card accumulation. They will also be without Kei Kamara, Jairo Torres, Federico Navarro, Mauricio Pineda, Victor Bezerra and Chris Mueller due to various injuries.
On the flip side, Talisman Xherdan Shaqiri should be back in time for this clash after returning from the Swiss national team.
Chicago Fire possible XI: Brady; Dean, Teran, Czichos, Aceves; Casas, Doumbia; Herbers, Shaqiri, Haile-Selassie; Przybylko
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Gal, Brady |
| Defenders: | Souquet, Ornsberg, Teran, Dean, Burks, Reynolds, Aceves, Czichos |
| Midfielders: | Haile-Selassie, Gutierrez, Herbers, Oregel, A. Rodriguez, Torres, Doumbia, Gimenez, Cesas |
| Forwards: | Kamara, M. Rodriguez, Koutsias, Shaqiri, Przybylko |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 5/3/23 | Chicago 1-1 NYCFC | MLS |
| 22/8/22 | Chicago 0-2 NYCFC | MLS |
| 23/5/22 | NYCFC 1-0 Chicago | MLS |
| 28/10/21 | NYCFC 1-0 Chicago | MLS |
| 30/9/21 | Chicago 2-0 NYCFC | MLS |