CHICAGO (Feb. 24, 2022) – Chicago Fire FC and MLS NEXT Pro today announced the official name of the Club’s MLS NEXT Pro team. Led by head coach Ludovic Taillandier, Chicago Fire FC II is the latest addition to the Club’s professional pathway, serving as a bridge between the Academy and first team.
Chicago Fire FC II will be primarily comprised of Academy and Homegrown Players, providing an opportunity for Club’s young players to continue to further their development in a professional league. The Fire will kick off the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro regular season on Saturday, March 26, on the road against Orlando City B. The match is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. CT at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimee, Fla.
Taillandier will be joined by assistant coach and former Fire forward Patrick Nyarko. Most recently, the coaching duo of Taillandier and Nyarko led the Chicago Fire FC Academy U-19 team to the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro championship on July 3, 2021, guiding the team to a perfect 5-0-0 tournament record. In addition to the coaching staff, the Chicago Fire FC II squad will also be supported by Head of Performance Nathan Steinmetz, Head Athletic Trainer Chris Toone, Equipment Manager Tony Kladis and Manager of Operations Kevin Isaac.
Each MLS NEXT Pro team will compete in 24 regular season games across 26 weeks, culminating on Sunday, September 18, with MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day. Chicago’s home games will take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. and will be open to the public free of charge. Information on how to attend matches will be available at a later date. All MLS NEXT Pro regular season matches will also be streamed live on mlsnextpro.com. Additionally, more than 30 games will be billed as “Games of the Week,” featuring an enhanced production and each club will have at least one home game featured.
Prioritizing regional play, teams have been divided into two conferences, an Eastern and Western Conference, comprised of two Divisions in each. The Fire will compete in the Eastern Conference, joining FC Cincinnati 2, Crew 2, Inter Miami II and Orlando City B in the Central Division.
Each team will play divisional opponents two to three times, as well as the other teams in their conference at least twice. A total of four non-conference matchups will take place during the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season, with Chicago facing Western Conference foes Minnesota United FC 2 and St. Louis CITY 2 over the course of the season.
A total of eight teams, four from each conference, will qualify for the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. This includes the top team from each division, and the two teams with the next most points in each conference.
More information about the Playoff Format and Schedule will be announced at a later date. For the full 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Schedule, please visit mlsnextpro.com.
To download the full Fire schedule, click here.
2022 Chicago Fire FC II Schedule (home matches in bold, CAPS)
*Schedule is subject to change
