It’s Inter Miami week once again for the Chicago Fire as they will host the Fort Lauderdale-based MLS side at Soldier Field on Saturday.
It remains to be seen whether or not Lionel Messi will play against the Fire after he was spotted training this week by multiple reporters but Chicago needs a result regardless of whether or not Messi is available.
One thing is for sure, Chicago cannot let Miami continue to score early. Inter Miami has scored a goal within ten minutes of kickoff in five of their last six matches in all competitions going back to when they defeated the Fire 2-1 in July at Chase Stadium. Frank Klopas knows how potent this Inter Miami attack can be from the get-go.
“We have to be ready for a fast start,” said Klopas during his weekly media availability. “I think that's [the key to the match].
“I think the game at NYCFC, I thought that you also saw a team that was not sharp. I think a big factor in that had to do with us not having played a competitive match in almost three-and-a-half weeks. I think that played a little bit into that.
“We know they want to start fast. We have to be ready, knowing that they want to come out and try to take an early lead. Then we just have to be ready for that. We have to match the intensity, be focused, and come with good energy and intensity.”
The Fire remain only two points out of the playoff spots with eight matches to go. A result at home is crucial if they want to extend their season.
From the rest of my notebook:
Chris Brady on Miami
The Inter Miami match always draws more eyes because of who the Fort Lauderdale side has on its team sheet. The Fire’s Homegrown goalkeeper has been treating this one like any other week when he addressed the media on Zoom this week.
“We prepare for this like it's a regular MLS game,” said Brady. “Obviously, it's a higher profile game because we know it's going to be in front of a bigger crowd with some quality players on the other end.
“No matter who they put on the field, we're studying them. We know what to expect, and we'll have a game plan put in place. We definitely have been treating it like a regular game, preparing for it like a regular game.”
Similar to his head coach moments beforehand, Brady underscored the need for the Fire to be ready from kickoff at Soldier Field.
“With a game like this, there's really no room to warm up to the game. There's really no room to allow yourself to break into the game, take your time. You've really got to, from the first whistle, start at 100 percent. That's one of the biggest lessons I think I took from -- especially this last game as well, but even last year's game -- can't start slow.
“Then the importance of -- I know, unfortunately, last year we weren't able to keep the clean sheet, but keeping the guys in it, at least from my end and the back line's end, keeping the guys in it by keeping a shutout. That always helps everybody with belief and the ability to get out of the game with a result.”
Another Accolade for Brian Gutiérrez
The Fire’s homegrown attacker has been hitting his stride of late.
Gutiérrez assisted Georgios Koutsias in each of the Fire’s matches in the Leagues Cup before scoring the match-tying penalty kick in Chicago’s 2-2 draw against NYCFC upon resumption of the MLS regular season. The last time the Fire won a match in MLS was on July 17 in Cincinnati when Gutiérrez scored the match-winner after a fabulous run from Hugo Cuypers to set it all up.
Guti received recognition this week when he was named one of Major League Soccer’s Young Players of the Matchday for Matchday 29 after securing a point for his side at Citi Field with a successful attempt from 12 yards.
Frank Klopas noted after the draw in Queens that Gutiérrez needs to be a bigger factor throughout matches, pointing to how the entire team improved later in the match after Guti found his footing.
Performance Center
The Fire’s performance center in Chicago, which will be named the Endeavor Health Performance Center, is on track to open fully in 2025.
Club owner and chairman Joe Mansueto and president of business operations Dave Baldwin did a site tour yesterday after the turf had been laid for the Fire Academy’s pitch at the new facility. The expectation is for the Fire Academy to begin using the facility this fall and the first team to use the center for the 2025 season. The facility is expected to be completed in December 2024 or January 2025.
Mansueto also gifted the entire construction team that has been working on the new performance center tickets for the Fire’s match on Saturday against Inter Miami.
Soccer-Specific Stadium?
MLSSoccer.com’s Charles Boehm was on full Chicago Fire duty this week between his inclusion of Gutiérrez on Young Players of the Matchday and the feature he wrote on the club ahead of the Inter Miami match.
In the piece, Dave Baldwin mentioned that while there’s no definitive timeline right now on a new stadium it’s “not unrealistic” to think that there is a chance the Fire play in a soccer-specific stadium.
Is that the strongest indicator of a soccer-specific stadium coming soon? Maybe not but it appears to be an ongoing conversation within the Fire’s executive offices.
Injury Updates
Carlos Terán and Fabian Herbers have been training throughout the week after the former left the match against NYCFC with an injury and the latter missed the match entirely with a knock.
The club’s availability report on Friday will tell a lot more about their availability for Saturday along with Lionel Messi’s.
Chase Gasper has been out on the training pitch this week but has only stretched with the team before working out individually on the side. The left back has been out since the end of March with a leg injury and is hoping to be involved on the pitch in the final month of the season at a minimum.
What’s On Tap Next?
The Fire will be hosting Inter Miami at Soldier Field on Saturday. The match is scheduled the kick off at 7:30 PM CT and will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
Follow @soccer_ontap on X for more Chicago Fire news and updates!
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