Fire Enter Uncharted Territory With Third Straight Road Win
On Saturday evening, the Chicago Fire defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on the road.
It was a monumental moment for a variety of reasons.
Now that the dust has settled, it’s a fitting time to look back on just how much this victory means for the Men in Red.
Back-to-Back-to-Back…On the Road!
Fire fans will know just how rare it has been for this club to win on the road. To string together three consecutive such results is nothing short of a miracle. In fact, the last time the Fire managed three competitive wins in a row at all was in July 2023, when the Men in Red registered four straight across MLS and Leagues Cup play. Only one of those victories was away from home.
PHOTO: Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images
To find the last time the Fire achieved back-to-back-to-back road wins, we must go back to May 2009. With just five matches at the helm so far, Gregg Berhalter has already broken a drought that’s stretched for 16 years. Not to mention, he’s applying a novel tactical system that his players are largely unfamiliar with. The fact that the Fire have had 7-8 players listed as either out or questionable in each of the three matches makes Berhalter’s job all the more difficult.
Any attempt to discredit the Fire’s achievement falls flat. They’ve faced solid opposition throughout the road trip. In fact, the victory against the Whitecaps was the first time Vancouver had dropped points all season. Not to mention, the Fire have had about as demanding a travel schedule as any team can have in MLS.
A Permanent Fixture in the Team of the Matchday
Each week, the MLS names 11 starters, nine substitutes, and a manager to its Team of the Matchday. Certain stars of the league are a steadfast presence in the team. Powerhouse clubs will rarely go a week without having a player or coach honored.
For the first time in recent memory, the Fire fall under that umbrella. So far this season, Chicago has received seven nominations, including five consecutive starter selections.
Even more impressive is the fact that each of the five weeks saw a different Fire player named to the starting XI. Brian Gutierrez’s two-goal performance against the Columbus Crew in the season opener earned him a spot in week one. Chris Brady was the league’s best goalkeeper on the second matchday and was joined in the weekly team by Hugo Cuypers, who was named to the bench. Cuypers, who has five goals in his last four matches, has since picked up a starter’s honor of his own, as have Andrew Gutman and Philip Zinckernagel.
The recent victory over Vancouver was another brilliant tactical showing from Berhalter, and he has been duly rewarded. He was chosen as the Team of the Matchday coach for round five. Given that his squad was depleted throughout the first five weeks, the best of Berhalter is yet to come. More accolades are certainly to be expected.
Fire Moving Up the Power Rankings
As the cherry on top for a triumphant trek across the continent, the Fire have hit their highest placement on the MLS Power Rankings in almost three years. With 10 points from five games in 2025, Chicago sits 9th in this week’s rankings. The last time they were in the top 10 was in April 2022, when they checked in at number 8. In a league that has 18 playoff berths, 9th place in the Power Rankings is a great sign.
In previous years, Fire fans have refused to give much value to early-season results in the hopes that the club’s fortunes would change. As such, we’d be amiss to assume there won’t be bumps in the road forthcoming. There certainly could be. After all, the Fire were 8th in the power rankings early on in the 2022 season, which they’d eventually finish in 24th place overall.
Nonetheless, the early-season achievements speak to this team’s rapid improvement. They’ve been entirely rejuvenated under Berhalter.
History is being rewritten, and there is true hope for a future of playoff berths and even silverware.
PHOTO: Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
