Fire is volatile, unpredictable, and…often overlooked? In the case of Chicago Fire FC at least. Much like the Loons, preseason predictions have not been kind to the team just southeast of here. There are some legitimate doubts about the Fire, but those paying attention can see that this Saturday will be anything but a walk in the park. It is true that Chicago struggled throughout 2022, as indicated by their 12th-place ranking last season. However, dismissing a team based on their previous encounters is a dangerous line of thinking, especially in this league.
Chicago’s record of 1-3-1 suggests a sluggish start to the season – after all, a team with one win out of six can’t be putting up much of a fight, right? Well…maybe, maybe not. In a league like this, results can turn on a knife’s edge. Just ask the Loons, who would be the first to admit that while they have put up strong performances en route to their early 3-2-0 record, a handful of results could have easily broken in the other direction had it not been for a bounce here or there.
For Chicago, the bounces have gone in all the wrong directions so far this season. And the final scorelines might, in fact, mask a surprisingly strong overall body of work. Of their three draws, two of them were against a pair of the best teams in the Eastern Conference – New York City FC and FC Cincinnati – and the Fire were able to notch three goals against the latter.
Chicago’s only loss so far was a close 1-0 match against the 2022 Supporters’ Shield runners-up, Philadelphia Union, where they were able to hold the 2022 Eastern Conference champs scoreless until the 90th minute – an impressive effort from the Red and Blue.
If looking for a true depiction of the Fire’s offensive capabilities, take a look at their 3-2 win over Inter Miami FC. Not only did Chicago score three goals against Miami in their own stadium, but the ageless wonder, Kei Kamara, notably notched a goal for his tenth team – an MLS record. The attacking core of Kamara, Xherdan Shaqiri, Chris Mueller, and Kacper Przybyłko is difficult for any defensive unit to withstand, and MNUFC will need to cover a lot of ground to stop all of them. To reiterate, Chicago Fire cannot be so easily dismissed.
While Chicago has an attack with players that are dangerous from pretty much anywhere on the field, they struggle defensively. On the flip side, the Loons’ biggest strength in this young season is their defense, and they typically rely on quick counterattacks to score.
Saturday’s game at Soldier Field will be yet another testament to the old offense vs defense question. Will the Fire burn hot enough to make toast of MNUFC’s defense? Or, will the Loons stave off the heat and march on to victory? Tune in Saturday to see this fiery clash as Minnesota looks to extend their unbeaten streak against the unpredictable Chicago Fire FC.
MATCH INFO
Chicago Fire FC vs. Minnesota United FC
Soldier Field | Chicago, Illinois
04.08.2023 | MLS Week No. 7 | MLS Game #6
7:30 p.m. CT (MLS Season Pass, 1500 ESPN)
