Midfielders Gastón Giménez and Maren Haile-Selassie Selected to the TOTM Bench
CHICAGO (Oct. 5, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Frank Klopas and Designated Player Xherdan Shaqiri were selected to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 36, and midfielders Gastón Giménez and Maren Haile-Selassie were named to the Team of the Matchday bench. Klopas led the team to a resounding 4-1 win against Inter Miami CF on Wednesday night in front of the largest crowd in Club history at Soldier Field.
The 62,124 fans set a new attendance record for the Fire, as the team produced its most goals in a single match this season and its largest margin of victory on the campaign. All four of the Fire’s goals occurred in the second half, with Shaqiri and Haile-Selassie scoring two goals each. Additionally, Giménez, who had a strong presence on both ends of the field throughout the match, delivered the assist on Shaqiri’s second of the night and was named Man of the Match for his performance in the encounter.
With the brace against Inter Miami, Shaqiri has scored five goals this season, tying him with striker Kei Kamara for the second-most on the team. Shaqiri opened the scoring in the 49th minute of the match, running onto a pass from Fabian Herbers before hitting a powerful first-time effort into the back of the net (WATCH). Shaqiri’s second goal of the match sealed the Fire’s victory in the 73rd minute when he ran onto a pass from Giménez, collected it and split his two marking defenders with a low shot that went into the bottom right corner of the net (WATCH).
Haile-Selassie also finished the night with two goals, increasing this season tally to six and making him the team-leading goal scorer in 2023. In the 62nd minute, Herbers set up Haile-Selassie with a ball slipped into space that he ran onto with a controlling touch before hitting it into the goal (WATCH). Haile-Selassie scored his second goal of the game in the 66th minute, running onto a pass across the goalmouth from midfielder Ousmane Doumbia. The speedy winger timed his run and hit a one-time shot that went back across the goal and into the lower right corner for his second of the night (WATCH).
The victory marked the Fire’s second straight win in League play and propelled the team into a playoff position. With two matches remaining in the regular season, the team now sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 40 points, ahead of ninth-place CF Montréal and 10th place New York City FC who both have 38 points.
