RECAP: Analyzing the Implications of Fire Annihilation by Nashville, 7-2
The Chicago Fire were on the wrong side of history on Saturday, losing to Nashville SC 7-2.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong – pretty much everything did.
All of a sudden, the very familiar feeling of dread is creeping back into the hearts of Fire fans.
The hope many felt as the Gregg Berhalter era got underway seemed different.
Now, they worry it’s the same false hope that has plagued Chicago soccer fans for the last seven years. On the other hand, are the Fire faithful being overly pessimistic?
Should they trust the process?
The Looming Disaster Theory
The issue with the loss to Nashville is that it wasn’t as simple as just a poor performance. It was an utter catastrophe, at least for the first 60 minutes. Conceding five goals before halftime, the Men in Red looked like hapless amateurs. Nashville had no need or particular desire to run up the score, but the Fire were so poor after the break that they let the hosts tack on a couple more.
PHOTO: Casey Gower/Imagn Images
No one could have quite predicted the embarrassment Chicago suffered, but a poor result seemed likely coming into the matchday. After all, a Fire team that started the season with 10 points from five games had since picked up just two from the next five. There had been injuries, yes, but those provided no excuse. Berhalter had a much more shorthanded squad at his disposal in the opening slate of fixtures, when the team was firing on all cylinders anyway.
Not to mention, the defensive setup, which undeniably cost Chicago the game, wasn’t a new or experimental one. Andrew Gutman has been the Fire’s starting left back all year. Jack Elliott has served as the defensive anchor consistently, partnering Sam Rogers (who started on Saturday) on five previous occasions. Omari Glasgow was playing out of position at right back, but it wasn’t the first time he had been asked to do so.
In other words, the convincing defeat can mean one of two things: either the back line had an uncharacteristically bad day, or the setup was always doomed to fail. At no point in the season has the defense looked particularly convincing. The team’s entire strategy to win games seems to hinge on the attack cleaning up the defense’s mess. It’s not a sustainable model, and perhaps Nashville is just the first of many teams that will completely break the Men in Red’s weak defensive resistance.
The Isolated Incident Hypothesis
There’s no justification for the defeat, no doubt about it. There is, however, reason to believe in a brighter tomorrow. For starters, while injuries seem to be a never-ending curse upon this team, the summer transfer window is fast approaching. If Berhalter or any of the front office were still fooled by the unstable back line, they no longer are. This is a club that can afford to spend some money on a center-back right now. After the Nashville massacre, it’s almost certain they will.
Banking on full fitness and confident performances from the current defenders in the squad hasn’t worked out. Bringing in a fresh face could. In addition to the possibility of new signings, there is a young talent by the name of Christopher Cupps who will relish the opportunity to play an increased role. The 16-year-old defender made his debut for the club off the bench against Nashville, and with a little bit of much-needed luck, the Fire could produce a starter out of him sooner rather than later.
While not very comforting to hear right now, the Fire attack didn’t look bad at all against Nashville. Commenters on social media joked about just how impressive it is to score two goals on the road, but there’s a half-truth in there. Hugo Cuypers leads the MLS Golden Boot race after tacking on his – get this – seventh goal of the season on Saturday. Philip Zinckernagel, a new signing who’s helped transform the attack into a formidable one, scored a beauty from a set piece. Fire fans will recall just how much of a struggle set pieces have been in years past. Yet, even in their worst recent performance, the Men in Red still converted from a corner and a free kick.
Only five teams in the league have scored more goals than Chicago. The defense is fixable. Losses like this are a wake-up call. Each of these statements is a stone-cold fact. There could yet be a new dawn in Chicago…
Parting Thoughts
It’s hard to say exactly what the takeaway should be from last weekend. You’ve now heard two drastically different theories. Reality is probably somewhere in between. Whatever the case may be, this season is far from over. The Fire sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, one point off a playoff spot with 24 games left to play.
Six months from now, fans may look back on the GEODIS Park debacle as the catalyst for a wooden spoon campaign. Alternatively, they may see a moment that lit a flame beneath the Fire and pushed them to their first playoff berth since 2017.
For the time being, you be the judge.
PHOTO: Casey Gower/Imagn Images
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