PREVIEW: Three Keys to Success for Chicago Fire FC in Columbus
It’s here! It’s finally here!
The start of the 2025 MLS season kicks off, and we could not be more excited!
The Chicago Fire, get things started against the Columbus Crew. After a successful preseason camp, newly appointed Head Coach Gregg Berhalter will be tested immediately against a top-notch, quality opponent. One can sit and examine every detail of preseason friendlies and individual performances, but that’s all out the window when the first whistle of the regular season blows.
Playing away at Columbus will be no easy task, especially when the weather will drop to about 20 degrees just around kick-off.
It’s going to be cold, it’s going to be rowdy, and it’s going to be a tough battle, but if the Fire want to come away with anything positive at all, they will have to keep a few key things in mind.
1) Clog the Midfield
Crew Head Coach, Wilfried Nancy, is a tactical genius. There’s a reason he was on his way to coach overseas last year in the top flights. He understands that the game is won in the midfield, which makes his life so much easier when he has a league legend pulling the strings for his team like Darlington Nagbe does. In a press conference earlier this week, Nagbe touched on how, this season, their main focus is now improving and building on all the basics and the structure they have implemented under Nancy over the past 2-3 years. Nagbe touched on being “tactically” sound. The Fire should expect nothing less from the Crew than wanting to be on the ball as much as possible and looking to get the ball in between the lines going forward.
Kellyn Acosta needs to be ready from the first minute as he will be instrumental for the Fire in the midfield, looking to disrupt and throw off the Crew’s tempo going forward. I expect Brian Gutierrez and Rominigue Kouame to get the starts tomorrow as well, meaning they will also have to be mindful defensively and tuck inside to help Acosta in the midfield. Creating havoc and making on-the-ball players uncomfortable for 90 minutes is the goal. Those three (or whoever starts in the middle) cannot allow guys like Nagbe to get into a rhythm.
2) Find Rossi!
With the departure of All-Star Cucho Hernandez (thank goodness), the Crew will have to find someone else to rely on and get them going offensively. Hernandez leaves a massive hole in their attack, but that doesn’t mean Columbus doesn’t have other guys to rely on. The incredibly obvious option is another MLS All-Star, Diego Rossi. Rossi has been one of the most effective and dangerous wingers in MLS over the past few seasons (before and after his stint in Europe with Turkey powerhouse Fenerbahce).
PHOTO: Chicago Fire FC/Facebook
Without a doubt, he will be Crew’s target guy on the left-hand side as they look to get forward. Quick, shifty, and with tons of flare, Berhalter needs to ensure whoever starts as right-back can match with him all day long. I’d even suggest that either a dropping midfielder or the right winger should help double Rossi every single time he’s on the ball. In other words, find Diego Rossi and know where he is at all moments. He can hurt you fast.
The Crew also lost “Superman,” AKA Christian Ramirez. He is now with LA Galaxy, meaning the Crew have no answers for who their main striker will be. If I am Berhalter and the Fire defense plans to set up against the Crew, I’m looking to double down on Rossi because there doesn’t seem to be anyone else who can create damage up top for the Crew.
3) Counter, Counter, Counter
If the Fire want to find moments to hurt Columbus tomorrow, they’ll need to be ready to do so on the counter. As I mentioned, the Crew will look to be on the ball as much as possible. I’m going to guess that by the end of the match, the possession % will roughly be 60-40 Columbus. And guess what, that’s OK! You don’t win matches by just having the ball. As the Fire sit in and defend those pockets of space, they’ll need to look to release quickly once they recover the ball and find their outlet players fast.
The good news this season is that with the Fire’s squad revamp, Berhalter has gone and added some speed onto the field.
Players like Gutierrez and Haile-Selassie showed glimpses of this last year, but this year, Gutierrez can play a bit more central and get on the ball as a facilitator. It’s what he does best. If the counter works and produces chances, the Fire will need to rely on newcomers Jonathan Bamba and Phillip Zinckernagel to get going right away.
Both players have shown tremendous pace in their preseason match outings and can be very dangerous in the final third. It’ll come down to timing – knowing when to exploit the Crew’s outside backs, who love getting forward with overlapping runs. They can’t look to counter every few minutes, meaning the Fire must also play a bit of controlled footy. Gutierrez, Acosta, and Kouame will need to set the tempo. Again, the battle will be won in the midfield. Recognition of what the run of play offers will be the key in tomorrow’s match.
If the Fire play their cards right, I can see them coming home with a 2-1 win.
Cheers to the new season; enjoy the ride!
PHOTO: Chicago Fire FC/Facebook
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