The Chicago Fire will try to jump-start striker Hugo Cuypers' first MLS season when they host a Houston Dynamo side that has been grinding out results without its captain.
Chicago (1-3-2, five points) signed Cuypers this winter for a club-record transfer fee that was reported to be in the neighborhood of $12 million.
But the 27-year-old who led Belgium's top flight with 20 league goals during the 2022-23 campaign has as many yellow cards as goals for his new club -- two each.
And while overall the Fire attack has looked improved from last season when it scored only 39 goals in 34 matches, Chicago has still scored multiple goals only twice.
For manager Frank Klopas, the problem is more about trying to supply Cuypers with sufficient chances.
"He works extremely hard for the team, and I think in the final third, when we can get him service and get him in good spots, he's going to finish," Klopas said. "But he doesn't lack confidence, that's for sure."
Meanwhile, Houston (3-1-1, 10 points) makes the trip north after winning its last three despite playing its entire season so far without injured Mexican talisman Hector Herrera.
The Dynamo owe their early success primarily to their defense, having kept two clean sheets and conceded only four goals through five matches.
But the last time out, the Dynamo required late goals from Sebastian Ferreira and Franco Escobar to earn a 2-1 home win over a San Jose team that played most of the match with 10 men and finished with nine after a second red card deep in stoppage time.
And manager Ben Olsen knows things are going to get tougher as the Dynamo play five of their next seven away.
"It's important point(s), because we're going on the road now for a month," Olsen said after the win. "We've had a lot of home games. It's important to continue to send the home fans away from here happy and entertained. And I think it was frustrating at times tonight, but in the end a great result. ... The group showed a lot of resiliency."
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