One of the biggest questions entering the 2024 MLS season was whether or not Brian Gutiérrez would take the next step in his progression.
The Chicago Fire’s Homegrown forward generated seven and nine assists in MLS during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively, while collecting two goals each year. Everyone within the Fire’s organization wanted to see a more aggressive Brian Gutiérrez in 2024 and they got that from him.
Gutiérrez has notched six goals in 2024 and three assists in MLS and he also assisted two goals from Georgios Koutsias during Leagues Cup.
Expectations were high for Gutiérrez entering 2024. He signed a new contract with the Fire in November 2023 that will tie the Homegrown attacker to the club through the 2028 MLS season while occupying a U-22 Initiative slot.
Gutiérrez finally received some accolades for his performance in 2024 when he was announced as the fourth-ranked player in Major League Soccer’s 22 Under 22 list for 2024, one spot higher on the list than he was a year ago.
“It's a great feeling,” Gutiérrez told On Tap Sports Net. “It's nice to know that people acknowledge my game and the way I play, and they like it. So just keep going and I think I’m going in the right direction towards what I want.”
A new, higher-paying, contract always brings higher expectations. Those expectations have not phased the 21-year-old.
“There's always pressure. There's always gonna be pressure but I don't really feel it. I think it's sort of a mental side of the game. I think I control it very well. And, at the end of the day, it's a game.”
Gutiérrez has been more of a threat with the ball in 2024. He’s tripled his previous career high with six goals this season while taking 60 shots, 14 more than he ever has in a season. His assist numbers may be down from his first two full MLS seasons but Gutiérrez has completed a career-high 81.4% of his passes and has already exceeded his previous career-high of 736 passes completed in a season by 100 in 2024.
Chicago’s young attacker was noticeably trying to create chances for himself in the club’s last match against Charlotte FC, a 4-3 loss in North Carolina, and registered a season-high five shots while playing the full 90 minutes. The increase in shots was a conscious decision from Gutiérrez.
“I feel like the past few games I wasn't taking as many shots and I wasn't really happy with that. I think my game is being a threat in the second third, also helping the offensive side as pressing and tracking runners. But they pay me to score goals and create assists, so I think I needed to do that. And that was my main focus, being relentless and all my actions and scoring, trying to get a shot and go to score.”
The Fire organization is undergoing a massive change this offseason as they look to turn things around in hopes of finally qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2017. Former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has been brought in as the club’s new director of football and head coach, a change that Gutiérrez is excited about.
“I think the organization needs a change of environment, a change of eyes. I think that's really great for us, and hopefully we get back to what we are: a winning culture and a winning mentality in the team.”
What’s On Tap Next?
The Fire host Nashville SC in their season finale on Saturday at Soldier Field. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 p.m. CT and will air on MLS Season Pass on AppleTV+.
Follow @soccer_ontap on X for more Chicago Fire news and updates!
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