Tobias Salquist hasn’t had the ideal first season with the Chicago Fire.
The center back signed with the Fire in the offseason from Silkeborg IF in Denmark and had to deal with a lingering issue before finally making his club debut in Chicago’s third match of 2024.
Intermittent injuries have limited Salquist to only 12 appearances in all competitions in his first season with the Fire, though he’s managed two consecutive starts and been available since the middle of July.
“It's been a tough and hard season,” Salquist told On Tap Sports Net after the Fire’s training session on Friday. “Once I was finally getting used to everything, adapting. I got my injury and [it was] an injury I never had, a big injury I never had before.”
Salquist was finally getting consistent minutes as July turned into August but that all came to a head against Inter Miami on Aug. 31. Miami took the lead for good in the first half after a Chris Brady save deflected off of Salquist and into the Fire’s net. He obviously wasn’t thrilled with that performance but he’s been effective in his three appearances since that tough match.
The Fire’s transition to a back five with three center backs has also been a new experience for Salquist, who said he’s hardly ever played in that formation before this season.
Despite the hardships in 2024, Salquist knows he can reach a higher level of play with the Fire.
“It's been a tough season for me, personally. I haven't reached a level yet that I know I can reach. I have so much more to [bring].”
One thing Salquist always brings is a fun outfit, which he jokingly told On Tap Sports Net isn't always loved by the ones he lives with.
Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC Preview
The Fire need three wins and some help if they want to pull off the miracle of qualifying for the 2024 MLS Playoffs.
Chicago (7-8-16, 29 points, 14th in Eastern Conference) is without a win or a goal in its last two matches, each of which was a loss on the road. It really is now or never for the 2024 Chicago Fire.
Toronto FC (11-3-17, 36 points, 8th in Eastern Conference) is coming off a midweek loss in penalty kicks to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship Final in British Columbia. Toronto played most of its regulars in the final on Wednesday evening so it’s expected that head coach John Herdman will have to rotate his squad a bit against the Fire in Bridgeview.
Fire head coach Frank Klopas still expects a lot of firepower when Toronto FC comes to Bridgeview on Saturday.
“Right off the bat, they have (Federico) Bernardeschi in transition,” Klopas said during his weekly media availability. "When you can isolate him in 1v1 situations, it can be extremely difficult to contain. He's an inverted winger. He likes to come in on his left foot.
“If (Lorezno) Insigne plays, obviously they have the national team players back with (Jonathan) Osorio. So, they are a good team. They want to move the ball around. They are a possession team. And obviously in transition moments, where they can isolate Bernardeschi, they have some quality players in moments where they can have an impact in 1v1 situations and players that can impact the game in moments where you don't expect them to. They have that kind of quality.”
The Fire pulled off a 4-1 win in Toronto when these two sides faced off back on June 15 in Canada with four different players adding their names to the scoresheet after the 40th minute.
“Obviously the first half was a little bit slow for us, and then, you know, I think that we had some goals in key moments, and I think that's the key thing, I think, in that matchup. We were able to control the game. We were in good possession, and we picked our moments and then we finished our chances.”
After failing to score in each of their previous two contests, the Fire will need to finish their chances once again against Toronto if they want to leave Bridgeview with three points.
How to Watch Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC
Who: Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC
When: September 28, 2024 at 7:30 PM CT
Where: SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Illinois
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+
Follow @soccer_ontap on X for more Chicago Fire news and updates!
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