Sights and Sounds from Chicago Fire's Meet the Players Event

The Leagues Cup was a forgetful experience for the Chicago Fire, who were eliminated following the group stage because they failed to win a single game in the tournament.

Focus now turns to the final nine MLS regular-season matches as the Fire have work to do if they want to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Chicago currently sits 14th in the Eastern Conference with 25 points, only three points behind Atlanta United in the final playoff spot. It will be a slog for the Fire if they want to finally get in the playoffs and they’ll need to play better soccer than they have all season.

Hugo Cuypers is on the precipice of being the first Fire player to record double-digit MLS goals since Robert Beri ć scored 12 for Chicago in the confusing 2020 season.

Xherdan Shaqiri has been with the club for over a week since he returned from his time with Switzerland at EURO 2024 and is expected to contribute to the team going forward unless he is moved before the Aug. 14 transfer deadline.

Meet the Players Event

The club had nearly 2,000 people at Fire Pitch for its annual meet the players event on Sunday despite temperatures that felt like over 100 degrees on the turf. The energy remained great throughout while fans and players alike could enjoy a few hours of appreciation despite the hardships that come with supporting a team that’s not made the postseason since 2017.

Naturally, Xherdan Shaqiri, Brian Gutiérrez, Chris Brady, and Hugo Cuypers had the longest autograph lines throughout the event.

The event served as another reminder of how famous Shaqiri is outside of the Chicago Fire. Despite being one of the most polarizing players in franchise history, Shaqiri was constantly being hounded for photos and autographs, particularly by parents hoping to capture a moment with their children and the Swiss soccer legend.

One other notable item from the day was the amount of Fire fans praising Justin Reynolds for his performance against Toluca in the Leagues Cup last week. The Homegrown defender got his first first-team start with the Fire and did well despite the end result, leading to a wave of compliments from attendees. One issue: we all forgot to wish him a happy birthday on Sunday.

Andrew Gutman on Return

It’s been an up-and-down season for Andrew Gutman in his return to Chicagoland after spending the first portion of his professional career away from the area he grew up in. Gutman has endured multiple injuries this year but returned in the Leagues Cup, coming off the bench in each of the Fire’s contests. He’s had to adjust his mindset as his career has progressed.

“Fitness probably still needs to get up there but once you get the first couple of minutes back, you get the confidence back right away,” Gutman told On Tap Sports Net. “You don’t have time to really think about it. But I’m feeling good.”

“Injuries are a harsh reality of our sport and for me, the biggest thing I’ve learned is I’m not 22 anymore. I felt like when I was 22 you could do whatever you want but now I have to focus more on recovery and being proactive on everything.

“But then when you get back out there, you feel like a little kid again.”

Gutman had a salted caramel cold brew coffee from Starbucks with him at the event and his review of it, which was his first time trying the drink, was “amazing.”

Allan Arigoni on Time Off

According to head coach Frank Klopas, both Arigoni and Hugo Cuypers were always going to get Leagues Cup off going back to when they joined the Fire in the offseason from FC Lugano and Gent, respectively. Arigoni was a surprise inclusion on the bench for the Fire against Toluca but the Swiss defender never appeared in the match. Arigoni appreciated the time off that he’s had recently.

“I really needed that because I had a lot of games,” said Arigoni. “I played six months in Lugano and then I came straight over here and I couldn’t really rest, so it helped me a lot. I was fully recovered when I came back so I really needed that.”

Chris Brady on Halftime Jersey Gaffe

Some of you may have noticed — I know everyone in the press box did — that Chris Brady came out of the halftime break against Toluca with his full goalkeeper kit on and proceeded to do some warmups that indicated he might be entering the match. I asked Brady about this at the autograph event and he, jokingly, realized he teased the fans with a potential second-half cameo at SeatGeek Stadium.

“I did that by accident,” Brady said with a smile across his face. “They have us wear our jerseys on the bench now. I warmed up in my warm-up top and I had already given it away so all I had was my jersey.

“I realized what I did and then switched it up.”

What’s On Tap Next?

The Fire return to MLS play on Aug. 24 when they travel to face NYCFC at Yankee Stadium. The match is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 PM CT and will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

Follow @soccer_ontap on X for more Chicago Fire news and updates!