I don’t know if it’s the aroma of cheesesteaks, the spirit of Rocky, or the vibes of Meek Mill, but for whatever reason, the Chicago Fire seem to play extremely well with 10 men against the Philadelphia Union. For the second time in as many games at Subaru Park, the Fire were reduced to 10 men on a controversial call before the 40’ minute mark.
The Fire conceded an equalizer from a set piece after Wyatt Omsberg’s 34th minute send off on Sunday, but played an outstanding second half from a defensive (and possession) standpoint and came away with a huge point in a 1-1 draw on the road against a very tough Union side.
Now, the Fire will return home for a three-match homestand starting Wednesday night against Ronny Deila’s NYCFC, who are most certainly in form. City have won their last three games entering the match, including emphatic 5-0 and 4-1 wins over Orlando City and the Columbus Crew, respectively.
Here’s what we’re looking at as the boys from the Big Apple drop into the Windy City…
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
I’m a big rivalry guy. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know and understand the Cubs/Cards hatred. I can’t stand the Patriots as a die-hard Jets fan. As a Liverpool supporter, one of the greatest sporting events I ever attended was a Merseyside Derby at Anfield in December of 2019 (the Reds won 5-2 if anyone was wondering).
NYCFC and Chicago don’t exactly have a long-standing rivalry, but there is a little something extra in this game. Last year, NYCFC came to town on Decision Day and spoiled the Fire’s hopes of qualifying for the MLS Cup Playoffs. Chicago were very much in control of their own destiny and just needed a win to get into the postseason. They could’ve drawn or lost and then got some help, but Ronny Deila’s crew came into Soldier Field and eked out a 4-3 win that ultimately ended the Fire’s season.
It’s one thing for a team to come into your house and steal all three points in a game that saw six goals in the first half alone…
It’s an entirely different animal when they come into your house and deny you the chance to extend your season and accomplish your goal set out at the beginning of the year.
The roster from last year has a lot of the guys that were on the field when that final whistle blew, and there is no way this game doesn’t mean a little bit extra for Wicky’s boys. The bitter aftertaste of that Decision Day will come lingering back once the Fire see those light blue kits with “Etihad Airways” across the front.
THEY’RE FUN
NYCFC is usually at the top of my list when I have to make a choice of who to watch on any given MLS matchday (that doesn’t include the Fire).
Since their inception, they’ve always played an exciting brand of football under the umbrella of the City Football Group and it makes for quite the spectacle. They have a really solid mix of young Homegrowns (James Sands), talented South Americans (Taty Castellanos, Thiago Andrade, Maxi Moralez, Jesus Medina) and some European flavor as well (Anton Tinnerholm, Maxime Chanot, Gudi Thorarinsson, Amudsen).
Ronny Deila took over heading into last season and has gotten his guys to buy in. Deila has made successful stops at two reputable clubs in Celtic and Valerenga (Norway). He’s always brought a dynamic, possession-oriented, pressing mentality to his teams and NYCFC is no different.
NYCFC sport an XI that typically looks like a 4-2-3-1. With Sands having played every minute of the Concacaf Gold Cup for the U.S. Men’s National Team after their opening game against Haiti, I’d expect him to get some rest this week. Chanot and Alex Callens will hold down the backline with Tinnerholm and Malte Amudsen as the Scandanavian fullback connection. Tinnerholm, for me, is one of the best rightbacks in the league and has typically played very well against the Fire.
Parks will run the show in the middle of the park and drop a bit deeper to help facilitate the attack with Sands gone. He is super smooth on the ball, and is one of my favorite players to watch in the league. He keeps it simple. It may not be flashy, but he is a big reason this team is so fluid moving forward.
Medina and Moralez are a formidable Designated Player duo, and both played really well against the Fire on Decision Day last year. Thiago Andrade, the Brazilian, was a midseason acquisition and is fresh off of an MLS Team of the Week appearance after registering a goal and an assist against Columbus. The 20-year-old already has three goals in seven appearances for Deila.
Up top, Taty Castellanos has been tapped as “the guy” after another Brazilian, Héber, went down with an ACL injury last September. Castellanos is a pesky, undersized striker, but don’t be fooled. He has a low center of gravity, loves contact, and is a great leaper. The Argentine had been on an eight-week scouring drought, but finally snapped out of his funk against Orlando City on July 25.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Fire are coming back to Chicago with a big point from Philly, despite less-than-ideal circumstances following the Omsberg red. Given the single point gained in the last homestand, the upcoming three-game stretch at Soldier Field becomes even more important.
Chicago are nine points off of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and have nine points up for grabs at Soldier Field. After that, the final 15 games of the season feature 11 on the road.
The time is now. Seven points out of these next nine would be huge. It would catapult the Fire back into the mix and give them some much needed confidence and swagger as they take their talents across MLS the last few months of the season.
NYCFC are a tough proposition, but at this point, given the slow start to the season, every game needs to be treated as do-or-die. This is simply the nature of the beast.
Keeping NYCFC off the board will be difficult. They come to Soldier in good form, but they are certainly vulnerable at the back. Chanot and Callens aren’t the fastest centerbacks in the league, so I imagine Przemysław Frankowski will have a lot of work to do. The Fire will go direct when possible to try and stretch the field. This is especially important against NYCFC, not only to generate those chances over the top, but to create space for the likes of Álvaro Medrán and Gastón Giménez in what will definitely be a congested midfield. NYCFC want to go at you with pace and Moralez will be involved, one way or the other, in any type of attacking move. Locating the sorcerous Moralez and closing down his time and space will be massive. This team also feasts off of mistakes at the back, as Chicago learned last year. Being sure-footed and not being afraid to be direct will go a very long way towards three points.
Home games are officially a delicacy for the Fire. Think of them as a Gibson’s porterhouse. You savor every last drop of that beefy goodness because you know you probably won’t be back for a while. Wicky’s boys will need the fans to make Soldier Field rock during this homestand, because getting three points at home the rest of the season is almost non-negotiable.
Can’t wait to see you guys out there at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday night. I’m hoping you’ll force me to ask my audio guy to turn down the crowd noise. Shoutout to Leo, one of the best A1s in the business. Tony and I will have the call on WGN and CFFC Live. Vamos!
