It was a busy week on the arrival front for Chicago Fire FC, as February signing Jairo Torres at last joined the team from Liga MX side Atlas on Tuesday before the acquisition of winger and Schaumburg, Ill. native Chris Mueller was announced on Thursday morning.
The pair of attackers have entered the fold ahead of the Fire’s Saturday trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on Atlanta United (5 p.m. CT), where they’ll look to get back in the win column coming out of a pair of defeats.
Mueller trained with the team for the first time on Thursday, and - alongside Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson and defender/midfielder Mauricio Pineda - spoke about his quick integration into the side amid the group’s preparation for this weekend’s match.
HOMECOMING
Mueller joined the team this week from Hibernian FC of the Scottish Premiership, where he appeared 15 times and scored one goal following his debut for the club in late January of this year. The 25-year-old’s local ties and goal-scoring ability shown during four seasons spent with Orlando City SC made him an appealing addition when it became clear he was available.
“Chris is a guy we know from watching down in Orlando and being successful in the league before,” Hendrickson said following Thursday’s training session. “We think he’s someone - being a local kid - that can add a lot to our attack. Right now, we know we need to improve as a team going forward. I think that’s something that he brings - the type of winger that can help break defenses down. We’re very happy to have him.”
Mueller departed Orlando City for Scotland during the 2021 offseason, and left as the Club’s all-time leader in career appearances across all competitions (126) and in assists (20). Both Hendrickson and Mueller noted that this deal came together fairly quickly over the last several weeks when it was clear it made sense for both parties.
“I was trying not to get my hopes up too much in terms of coming back to the States,” Mueller said. “I was really keen on coming to Chicago because of this being home and what it would mean to me to get back here and into the league. It’s been pretty recent, but obviously happy that it happened.”
The investment in Torres, a Young Designated Player, and the flexibility to quickly add Mueller when the opportunity arose represent the latest commitments to building a contender in Hendrickson’s first season in Chicago, for which the head coach was quick to credit Club owner Joe Mansueto.
“Joe’s a very ambitious guy, and he really, really wants a good organization and a good team here in the city of Chicago,” Hendrickson said. “He’s done all he can to give us the resources to go out and get these players. We just have to make sure that we put that together and we build a very strong team here. That’s the plan.”
CASH AND MAURI
Mueller’s upbringing in Schaumburg meant he arrived back home already familiar with some of his new teammates. On the youth level, Mueller played for Palatine-based Sockers FC, where he regularly faced off against Pineda, who represented the Chicago Fire Academy.
“I honestly started playing against him since I was like six or seven years old,” Pineda said on Thursday. “Growing up, he always played for Sockers and I played for the Fire, so we would always play against each other. We trained together in the offseason, stuff like that. It’s good to finally have him on my side. He’s a really good player, so we’re excited to have him here.”
Mueller is now the eighth former Sockers FC player to suit up for the Fire, a list that also includes former forward and MLS MVP Mike Magee, who took time to wish Mueller well ahead of his new chapter in Chicago.
“It’s honestly a dream come true to be back home,” Mueller said. “My family is obviously all here. Growing up here, it’s really cool. It’s a really special feeling to be able to come home and not have to leave again. To be here, to represent the Fire, and to get a chance to represent my city is something that I’m really excited about.”
Given his family ties, Mueller will assuredly have his own personal cheering section in attendance whenever he ends up making his Soldier Field debut. However, Pineda believes it won’t take long for the rest of the Fire fan base to quickly endear themselves to their fellow local.
“His work rate is something that stands out to me,” Pineda said. “Playing against him, it’s difficult to play against him as a defender. He’s difficult to defend. Even when you’re on the ball, he’s always running and putting in effort. I think that’s something that the fans will appreciate much more than just his goals that he brings to the table. It’s good to have that part, too.”
SATURDAY STATUSES
Hendrickson will have some chess to play going into Saturday’s match in Atlanta. The Fire will be without captain Rafael Czichos and forward Jhon Duran after each player was shown a pair of yellow cards in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to the New York Red Bulls. They’ll both subsequently serve one-game red card suspensions this weekend.
Mueller’s addition gives him another attacking option to add to his matchday roster, but the status of a potential Torres debut is up in the air after the 21-year-old re-aggravated a previous injury in training this week. He’s listed as day-to-day.
“The expectation is for Chris to be ready to go on Saturday,” Hendrickson said. “Like with the rest of these guys, we’re just going to take our time with these guys. They’re just coming in. Chris flew in earlier this week, so we’ve got to make sure the jet lag and stuff like that isn’t effecting him. We don’t want to put anyone in jeopardy of losing them for a longer period of time than we need to, but he’ll be there on Saturday.”
In addition, the Fire are closely monitoring the progress of midfielder Fabian Herbers (right hip), forward Kacper Przybyłko (left calf), and defender Carlos Terán (left lower leg), all of whom missed last weekend’s match and enter Saturday’s contest listed as questionable on the injury report.
The Fire and Atlanta United kick off at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday, with local coverage available on WGN, CF97 Live, and Univision Radio and additional coverage available on MLS LIVE's out-of-market package on ESPN+.
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