There haven’t been many positives to come out of the Fire season, but one was apparent during their 3-2 win Saturday at FC Cincinnati.
Jhon Duran, 18, scored twice and Brian Gutierrez, 19, added a goal and two assists. The two teenagers’ development has a been bright spot for the Fire, whose finale is Sunday in Bridgeview against the New England Revolution.
Neither are finished products — Duran needs to hone his immense physical gifts and get better with his right foot, and Gutierrez must get stronger on the ball and see plays faster — but both showed their promise this year, and Saturday was another example of their growth.
“I’ve said this from the beginning, they both have very, very high ceilings,” coach Ezra Hendrickson said.
Whether Duran’s development continues with the Fire or elsewhere in 2023 is another question.
Reportedly, Duran is on the radar of English giants Liverpool and Chelsea. Both teams have American ownership and Chelsea already has bought Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, so neither club should have negative views of MLS talent.
Duran, who has made it clear he sees himself eventually jumping to Europe, could follow Slonina to the Premier League or another prestigious circuit on the other side of the Atlantic. Hendrickson, who wasn’t shocked by the reported interest, hopes Duran is still with the Fire next year after carrying the team’s goal-scoring in 2022.
“He’s here, he’s our player,” Hendrickson said, “but I can see why teams are very interested.”
Already coveted when the Fire signed him in 2021, Duran did nothing to hurt his stock this year, earning his first two appearances for the Colombian national team. Entering Sunday, Duran has eight goals and three assists over 1,274 minutes and has noticeably improved as the season wore on. He bought into the team concept, became more disciplined and mature and overtook veteran Kacper Przybylko for the starting striker spot.
Over the last four Fire games, Duran has five goals.
“It’s just putting in the work,” Duran said through a translator. “The hard work of the team also helps me but mostly it’s wanting to do the right things and to keep working hard so that you can keep doing the right things. And also, it’s listening to people around you. There are people that are very important around you who are always trying to help you, so you have to listen to them as well.”
There wasn’t the same hype around Gutierrez when he signed as a homegrown player in 2020, but his trajectory is also encouraging. In his third MLS season, Gutierrez has two goals and seven assists and was given a new contract that runs through 2026 with a 2027 team option.
He also has put himself in consideration to be a full-time member of the first 11 in 2023 after starting 19 times this year in the midfield. His production has added to his confidence, which should be beneficial next spring when Gutierrez faces higher expectations.
“It makes me play free,” Gutierrez said. “It tells me that I can do it.”
