It's getting realer and realer.
For the first time since early March, Chicago Fire FC trained as a full team on Monday.
"It felt amazing," forward CJ Sapong said. "Three months I think since we've had full training. Everybody's excited, excited to be back. We're ready to start working to try to win a championship."
The Fire will have three weeks of preparation leading into the MLS is Back Tournament, which begins July 8 in Orlando. In last week's tournament draw, Chicago was placed in Group A alongside host Orlando City SC, Inter Miami CF, NYCFC, Philadelphia Union, and Nashville SC.
"This is full go," midfielder Brandt Bronico said. "We’re treating it like a preseason before our first game essentially down in Orlando. So we’re looking forward to working together, getting the guys on the same page, and coming out buzzing for that first game in Orlando."
The full schedule for MLS is Back is still to be revealed, but Chicago is slated to take on Miami, NYCFC, and Nashville in its three group stage matches. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 16, along with the four best third-place finishers.
The Fire first stepped back onto the field in late May, first in individual training before moving on to small groups. Monday's return to training as a collective marked the biggest step toward July's return to play.
"The energy was going," Bronico said. "Guys were buzzing. And, honestly for me, I’m a big competitor, and it felt great to get out and compete, have some laughs with the guys, but also perform and play at a high level again."
