The Chicago Fire and Nashville SC are facing off on Wednesday for their first of two matches within the next five weeks as each side is fighting for their postseason lives near the bottom of the Eastern Conference table.
The Chicago Fire (7-8-14, 29 points) currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference, four points behind D.C. United in the ninth and final playoff spot.
The Fire are looking for their first playoff berth since the 2017 MLS season and have already begun the process of reshaping their organization ahead of the offseason.
Sporting Director Georg Heitz will be stepping away from his role after the season to move back to Europe and the outside expectation is that there will be more changes within the organization.
With only five matches left and still in the postseason hunt, Fire head coach Frank Klopas is focused on those matches while understanding the importance of the upcoming offseason for the entire organization.
“It’s such a crucial offseason and that’s why I say it’s the most important offseason,” Klopas told On Tap Sports Net after Tuesday’s training session. “We will fight until the end, but then this offseason is crucial for us to take that next step and be competing for trophies.
“My main focus is this game and the next five games, and I want more than anything to get the team back in the playoffs, and that's going to be my focus and goal.”
The Fire are coming off a 2-1 win at home over RBNY behind goals from Tom Barlow and Georgios Koutsias. The match-winning goal from Koutsias, 20, was his fifth goal in his last six matches in all competitions and was his second goal of the week after scoring in Greece U21’s win over Faroe Islands U21. It’s just what his club coach wanted to see out of his young striker.
“He wants to go to the highest level possible. He believes a lot in himself. He wants to work. There's always finding the right balance, which I tell him, ‘the balance is the most important thing.’ I think you work hard but then you have to give your opportunity body a chance to recover and get stronger and let things come to you.”
Nashville (7-8-13, 29 points) currently sits 14th in the Eastern Conference with a match in hand on the Fire entering their contest on Wednesday. The BJ Callaghan-coached side snapped a ten-match winless streak last weekend after defeating Atlanta United 2-0 on the road. Klopas understands that the Fire once again need to start strong if they want a win on the road in Tennessee.
“They have really good players. Last game, they had [Sam] Surridge and [Teal] Bunbury on top with [Hany] Mukhtar underneath, [Anibal] Godoy in the middle, and [Daniel] Lovitz. They have experienced players and they're coming off a big win.
Everybody knows that a lot of things in this league come down to the end. A lot of teams are fighting. They're a good team in transition. They're a good team on set pieces. We're playing on the road. I think it's always about having good starts in matches and limiting your mistakes. I think that's always super important and then finishing your opportunities. That's the most important thing.”
Chicago Fire Availability Report vs. Nashville SC
QUESTIONABLE: Rafael Czichos (leg), Chase Gasper (leg), Carlos Terán (leg), and Andrew Gutman (leg).
How to Watch Chicago Fire vs. Nashville SC
Who: Chicago Fire vs Nashville SC
When: September 18, 2024 at 7:30 PM CT
Where: Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on AppleTV+
Follow @soccer_ontap on X for more Chicago Fire news and updates!
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