Where Do Chicago Fire Fans Go From Here?
Last week, the Chicago Fire were eliminated from the Leagues Cup after a 3-1 loss to Toluca.
They finished third place in the group (out of three) with just one point from two matches.
In a season full of negatives, one would think the Leagues Cup could be a turning point for the Fire this year. Maybe it would be a glimmer of hope that some positivity would come from this season.
However, once again, there seemed to be no energy, heart, or passion in both matches as the Fire were sent home early.
With a pretty low standing in the MLS Eastern Conference table, another trophy-less season and meaningless matches look to be on the horizon.
So, what happens now?
MLS season play has been paused until the conclusion of the Leagues Cup. This means that the Fire will not play another home match until the very end of August. Their first opponent at home will be none other than Inter Miami. In a previous post, I talked about how the focus point of that match would be whether or not Lionel Messi would be healthy enough to play. He has yet to play a match for Miami since his ankle injury in the Copa America final.
There have been no specific updates or timetable on when we can expect Messi to return. All in all, the Fire doesn’t have too many positives to look at.
Either way, whether Messi plays or not, the Fire still have to prepare for a red-hot Inter Miami, who have been playing fantastic footy without the Argentinian superstar.
If I were Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino, I’d be thinking about his current situation long and hard. It’s no secret that Messi is getting up there in age and has played many games this Summer. Miami currently sits at the top of the conference table. Why would they even run the risk of another injury or another setback for Lionel Messi? Furthermore, Inter Miami is definitely more than capable of handling the Chicago Fire without Messi. What I am trying to say is I don’t expect Messi to suit up and play against the Fire come August 31st at Soldier Field. As long as Miami continues to play well without Messi, I expect head coach Martino to give Messi all the rest he needs in preparation for the MLS playoffs, which will begin in about two months.
The reality is that the Fire continues to play subpar soccer, and the quality on the field is nowhere near good enough. Yes, there are moments of brilliance and moments that give all Fire fans a bit of hope. However, to do well in MLS, there needs to be some form of consistency, and the Fire has yet to achieve that. It is not enough to drop points at home and lose on the road. Despite the recent poor performances from the Chicago Fire, they still find themselves three points away from a playoff position. Yes, you read that correctly.
They are just one win away from ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Granted, they will need a few results to stay there as the rest of the season plays out; however, it is definitely doable.
It’s not asking for much for the Fire to find a little bit of consistency in the last two months of the regular season.
I touched on this earlier this year – teams that find themselves doing well and making a true run in the MLS Cup playoffs always seem to turn it on towards the end of the Summer. Well, the end of summer is here, and it’s time for the Fire to figure out what they want this season to look like.
Am I expecting them to make a deep run into the playoffs? Absolutely not.
The team/bench depth just isn’t there. But it’s been way too long that Chicago fans don’t get to watch a meaningful game in late October. There are nine matches left this season and 27 points at stake.
The Fire have two weeks to prepare for NYCFC. A point in that match would be extremely ideal.
It all starts there…Here we go!
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