Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire: Inside the Redesigned Lineup in the 18

The New York Red Bulls are bringing some fresh faces to the field in their matchup against the Chicago Fire at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday evening.

Head Coach Sandro Schwarz is shaking things up by starting Tim Parker, Serge Ngoma, Felipe Carballo, and Mohammed Sofo in the lineup.

Parker is making his first MLS start of the season since rejoining RBNY, marking his first appearance in the Red Bulls lineup since November of 2020.

Both Ngoma and Carballo are also making their first MLS starts of the season, while Sofo returns to the Starting XI after scoring his first MLS goal in his previous start on March 1 against Nashville SC.

In addition to these new additions, Omar Valencia is making his fourth start of the season, with Dylan Nealis and Noah Eile rounding out the defensive structure.

This match will be the 70th regular season meeting between New York and Chicago, with the Fire holding the series advantage with a 32-21-16 record.

Carlos Coronel will be in goal for the Red Bulls, while Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will lead the attack, with Daniel Edelman partnering with Carballo in the central midfield.

Choupo-Moting recently scored his second MLS goal of the season in the Red Bulls match against the New England Revolution, marking his third consecutive match with a goal contribution.

Schwarz will have a strong bench to call upon, with Wiktor Bogacz, Wiki Carmona, Ronald Donkor, Dennis Gjengaar, Alexander Hack, Julian Hall, Sean Nealis, and Peter Stroud available. A.J. Marcucci will serve as the backup goalkeeper.

The Red Bulls have started the 2025 season with a 2-0-1 record at Sports Illustrated Stadium, including a recent 2-1 victory over Toronto FC in their last home match. On the other hand, Chicago enters the match on a three-game road winning streak, with victories at FC Dallas, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps.

Roald Mitchell, Lewis Morgan, Kyle Duncan, Raheem Edwards, Cameron Harper, and Marcelo Morales will be sidelined for the match.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in English and Spanish, as well as on New York Red Bulls Radio presented by Sports Illustrated in English via the New York Red Bulls app and NewYorkRedBulls.com.

Don’t miss the action as the Red Bulls take on the Chicago Fire with a retooled lineup and high spirits!