Indiana Soccer Preview for Sunday

Sunday has much lighter docket for soccer around the state of Indiana and for professional soccer around the region. College Women’s Soccer has the busiest of the schedules with 6 matches. College Men’s Soccer has a pair of matches and the Chicago Fire are in action.

Indiana College Women’s Soccer Preview

A busy Sunday is headlined by Indiana hosting No. 6 Ohio State at 1 p.m. in Bloomington. The Hoosiers get a major Big Ten test against one of the nation’s top teams, and the matchup gives Indiana a chance to make an early statement in conference play. Ohio State confirmed the Sunday trip to Bloomington with kickoff set for 1 p.m.

Butler hosts Central Michigan at 1 p.m. at the Sellick Bowl. The Bulldogs are coming off their downtown victory over IU Indy and now close the weekend with another home opportunity. Central Michigan entered the weekend at 2-3-1, giving Butler a chance to build momentum before the schedule gets deeper into conference play.

There’s an all-Indiana matchup in Valparaiso, where Southern Indiana visits Valpo at 1 p.m.

Indiana State visits Wright State at 1 p.m. The Sycamores wrap up non-conference action on the road in Dayton before turning their attention toward the heart of Missouri Valley play.

At the Division III level, Hanover hosts Wittenberg at 1 p.m. The Panthers come in off Saturday’s 1-0 win over Otterbein, when Addie Koebbe supplied the 75th-minute winner and Kendall Moore recorded the clean sheet.

Later in the afternoon, Purdue Fort Wayne travels to Saint Xavier for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff. The Mastodons are looking to rebound after recent losses to Valparaiso and Illinois State and could use Sunday’s match to regain some attacking momentum before Horizon League action ramps up.

Women’s games to watch

1 p.m. No. 6 Ohio State at Indiana

1 p.m. Central Michigan at Butler

1 p.m. Southern Indiana at Valparaiso

1 p.m. Indiana State at Wright State

1 p.m. Wittenberg at Hanover

4 p.m. ET Purdue Fort Wayne at Saint Xavier

Indiana College Men’s Soccer Preview

Sunday’s men’s slate is lighter because many Indiana teams played Friday or Saturday, but there are still a couple of notable matches.

IU Indianapolis hosts Purdue Fort Wayne at 5 p.m. in a Horizon League matchup. Purdue Fort Wayne and IU Indy are both trying to establish early conference positioning, and the Mastodons enter after putting together a productive stretch that included wins over Manchester and Defiance.

At the Division III level, Wabash faces Muskingum at 3:45 p.m. The Little Giants continue a busy early-season stretch and get another non-conference opportunity on their home field.

Men’s games to watch

3:45 p.m. Muskingum at Wabash

5 p.m. Purdue Fort Wayne at IU Indianapolis

Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution Preview

The Chicago Fire return to Soldier Field tonight to face the New England Revolution, and this one has major Eastern Conference implications.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Central / 5:30 p.m. Eastern at Soldier Field. Chicago enters at 11-6-6 with 39 points, while New England is 12-8-4 with 40 points. That means just one point separates the clubs, making this essentially an early playoff-positioning six-pointer.

Chicago also enters in strong form. The Fire have put together a lengthy unbeaten run, although draws have slowed their climb recently. They played Seattle and Toronto level before a 1-1 draw against Inter Miami in their most recent outing.

The major threat remains Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker has made an immediate impact since arriving in Chicago, and his presence has transformed the Fire attack into one opponents have to account for every minute. MLS itself is billing tonight as a potential playoff preview between Eastern Conference contenders.

New England comes in with momentum of its own. The Revolution beat New York City FC 2-1 on Wednesday, and they’ve picked up several important road results during this stretch, including a 3-1 victory at Columbus and a 3-0 win at D.C. United.

For Chicago, the key will be turning possession and attacking pressure into an early goal. New England has shown it can punish teams in transition, so the Fire cannot afford to push numbers forward carelessly. But with home-field advantage and Lewandowski leading the line, Chicago has a major opportunity to leapfrog the Revolution in the standings.

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago

Records: Chicago 11-6-6, 39 points; New England 12-8-4, 40 points

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