CHICAGO FIRE vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS Live Stream Online: 2014 MLS Standings, Live Coverage From Bridgeview, Projected Lineups and TACTICAL PREVIEW

Two clubs in the Eastern Conference of MLS will do battle today in a league match between the New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire. The first-division clash scheduled for 8 p.m. ET will be held at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois and can be live streamed here. Additional TV Coverage can be found on Univision Deportes.

Not known for his tactical prowess, head coach Mike Petke opened his mind to formation shift against the New England Revolution last Saturday. Taking the advice from his assistant head coach, Robin Fraser, the Red Bulls boss opted for a shift from a flat 4-4-2 to the diamond variety. Despite playing the second half down a man, the result followed.

"I thought it [the change] was brilliant," midfielder Dax McCarty said (via MLS's official website). "I thought we played some of the best soccer that we played. When you're playing in a diamond, you have a lot of options in the middle of the field, so when I get the ball I have a guy showing to my left, a guy to my right, Thierry buzzing in the middle."

"Sometimes when you play a flat 4-4-2, the roles aren't as defined," he added. "Sometimes in a flat 4-4-2, things can get stagnant. We haven't played up to our best in a flat 4-4-2."

With the depth at center-back dwindling, Petke will be forced to make another tactical decision: Stick with the diamond, or switch to a three-man back line?

Tactical Preview

Player to Watch: One of the outside backs charged with beating the Red Bulls this evening is right-back Lovel Palmer. The 29-year-old is known more for his defensive prowess, averaging less than a cross (0.6) and key pass (0.7) per match.

Chicago Fire's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Johnson; Segares, Larentowicz, Ianni, Palmer; Alex, Ritter, Watson, Ward; Magee, Amarikwa

New York Red Bulls' Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Robles; Oyongo, Sekagya, Miller, Duvall; Alexander, McCarty, Cahill, Sam; Henry, Wright-Phillips

Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE
  Rnk   Team MP W D L GF GA +/- Pts  
  1   Sporting Kansas City 22 11 6 5 32 20 12 39  
  2   DC United 21 11 4 6 32 21 11 37  
  3   Toronto FC 21 9 5 7 32 30 2 32  
  4   New York Red Bulls 22 6 10 6 35 33 2 28  
  5   Philadelphia Union 23 6 9 8 36 37 -1 27  
  6   Columbus Crew 23 6 9 8 28 31 -3 27  
  7   New England Revolution 22 8 2 12 29 35 -6 26  
  8   Chicago Fire 21 3 13 5 28 34 -6 22  
  9   Houston Dynamo 21 6 4 11 23 40 -17 22  
  10   Impact Montreal 22 3 5 14 22 41 -19 14  
WESTERN CONFERENCE
  Rnk   Team MP W D L GF GA +/- Pts  
  1   Real Salt Lake 23 10 9 4 36 27 9 39  
  2   Seattle Sounders 20 12 2 6 35 28 7 38  
  3   FC Dallas 23 10 6 7 38 32 6 36  
  4   LA Galaxy 20 9 7 4 34 19 15 34  
  5   Portland Timbers 23 7 9 7 38 38 0 30  
  6   Colorado Rapids 23 8 6 9 32 31 1 30  
  7   Vancouver Whitecaps 21 6 11 4 31 29 2 29  
  8   San Jose Earthquakes 20 6 6 8 25 22 3 24  
  9   Chivas USA 22 6 5 11 21 36 -15 23

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