Chicago Fire
When it was confirmed the Fire wouldn’t release Chris Brady or Brian Gutierrez to play for the United States in the tournament, the decision brought an array of opinions. As always, there are two sides to this argument.
While neither is a star, Herbers and Pineda provide value because coach Frank Klopas can trust them in numerous spots in the formation.
The addition of the San Diego franchise balances MLS at 15 teams per conference. A team name and crest will be revealed in the future.
The Fire are counting on Klopas to correct some of the issues that led to Ezra Hendrickson’s downfall and turn this year around.
Sporting director Georg Heitz has missed on every designated player he’s signed. His best moves have been selling teenagers to European clubs, he’s shown no ability to build an MLS winner and has the Fire on track to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year under his watch. Yet Heitz still has his job, but Hendrickson doesn’t.
Forty-three games into his time with the Fire, Hendrickson is still searching for a way for his team to hold leads.
Entering the game Saturday against the New York Red Bulls at Soldier Field, the Fire are 2-2-4 but have turned victories into ties, and now ties into losses. To avoid doing that again, Hendrickson stressed the Fire need to act like an egg.
Money the soccer team pays in rent to the housing authority will go toward its projects. “I’d like to make one point crystal clear: CHA will fulfill our commitment to developing new housing in this area,” said CHA CEO Tracey Scott.
Max Thoma and Dasan Robinson will call the games, with Max Anderson filling in for Thoma on select games. The broadcasts will include 30-minute pregame and postgame shows.
Shaqiri didn’t elaborate on what the Fire need to learn exactly, but the designated player pinpointed issues that need to be addressed.
The Fire ran their unbeaten streak to five but missed a chance to beat the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
Last Saturday, Brady recovered from an error to make two crucial saves and preserve a win.
Concacaf has not announced dates for the Soldier Field matches.
Kei Kamara scored twice, and the Fire earned their first home victory of the season.
While there are encouraging signs, the Fire have only won once in five tries entering Saturday’s game against Minnesota.
After allowing five goals in their last two games, the Fire earned their first shutout of 2023.
Gutierrez has been playing well, giving coach Ezra Hendrickson a good problem to solve as Shaqiri nears return.
The lone winless Eastern Conference team entering Saturday’s match at Inter Miami, the Fire played well at Philadelphia and should have beaten FC Cincinnati but also have been plagued by familiar issues.
The Fire were up 3-1 through 83 minutes, but Cincinnati’s Sergio Santos scored in the 84th before Junior Moreno’s second of the game in the 87th deprived the Fire of their first win of the season.
The Fire led 3-1 but allowed two late goals to miss out on their first win of the season.
While the team’s business side and the city will have to weather the controversy and any public-relations backlash coming from the project, the benefits to the Fire’s soccer side are obvious.
Terens was the Fire’s TV voice on WGN since 2020, but with MLS making all of its games available on Apple TV, local announcers are a thing of the past. Now a worldwide voice, he’s back to call the Fire’s game Saturday at Soldier Field.
Dave Baldwin is trying to get to know the team’s supporters and strengthen links with corporate partners.
Improving the attack has been a focus for the Fire, who compiled 12 shutouts last year but missed the playoffs.
We also wanted to know — or did we? — how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. The results of that poll, in a word: Oof.
After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again.
It’s a new era for MLS, which moved all of its games to Apple TV. Much like when the Fire put their games on ESPN+ in 2018, fans must subscribe to MLS Season Pass, though three games will be free.
Brady said his preparation hasn’t changed even though his role could this year.
An opening “wild card” round will feature matches between the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams in the Eastern and Western conferences at the stadium of the higher seed.
Gimenez is no longer a designated player, and said the new deal benefits both him and the Fire.