Are the Chicago Fire a Playoff Team?
It’s time to debate the biggest question of them all: Are the Chicago Fire worthy of the MLS Cup Playoffs?
With seven games remaining in the regular season, the Men in Red are dreaming of a postseason berth. They’ve been consistently strong in a competitive Eastern Conference.
Yet, on the other hand, they recently lost 4-0 to the Philadelphia Union and fell out of the top nine in the standings.
Will the team refocus and get the job done?
Or will we witness another late-season capitulation?
A History of Late-Season Heartbreak
What doesn’t bode well for the Fire right now is the fact that they’ve generally been on the wrong end of photo-finishes in the regular season. In 2019, for example, the Fire finished just three points out of the playoff spots. A defeat to fellow chasers, the New England Revolution, late in the season, proved to be the decisive moment.
A year later, the pain was even worse for the Men in Red. The 2020 season had an expanded playoff format, meaning Chicago just had to finish inside the top 10 in the East. They were in a great position to do just that coming into the final day. Taking on already-qualified NYCFC, the Fire fell to a 4-3 defeat. Inter Miami, who started the day just outside the playoff zone, snuck into 10th place.
More recently, in 2023, the Fire were again in with a fighting chance at the postseason late on. When it mattered most, however, the team folded. Back-to-back losses on the last two match-days saw Chicago once again finish three points (but four places) below the line.
Taking a Look at the Final Stretch
The Fire are fresh off an unplanned bye week, as their match with Inter Miami was postponed on account of the latter’s trip to the Leagues Cup final. It couldn’t have come at a better time, as the team just had one of its worst results of the year in Philadelphia.
Chicago has two games in hand on the New York Red Bulls, who sit one point above them in ninth place. In other words, the Fire still completely controls its own destiny. In order to make the postseason, they’ll need to get through a mixed bag of fixtures.
First up is the New England Revolution, whom the Men in Red will face again on Decision Day. The Revs are just behind the Fire in the standings, but with an eight-point gap between the two, Chicago should be the favorite in both matches.
The only other team currently outside the playoff spots that the Fire will face is Toronto FC, whom they beat on the road early in the season. Coupled with the two matches against New England, that should be at least six or seven points in the bag.
Conversely, Chicago is the definite outsider in the rescheduled Inter Miami clash, as well as in their game against Minnesota United. Two losses would be disappointing, but could very well be the reality. A point or two from these fixtures is precious.
This leaves two games as decisive in the playoff race – the September 13th test against NYCFC and a matchup with the Columbus Crew on the 27th. Both of these are home matches, and both are against opponents also in the playoff race. While the Fire currently lags behind these sides in the standings, direct wins over them could catapult them to as high as sixth place.
Just Enough to Get Over the Hump
Since Gregg Berhalter took over as the Fire’s head coach, making the playoffs has been the only goal. Even though the club is out of the top nine for the first time in a while, there is absolutely no reason for panic. Yes, there have been so many late collapses in the last few years. This, however, is not the Fire of years past. When the big moments arise, this team steps up.
The Men in Red have brought in some much-needed reinforcements to wrap up the summer transfer window. They’ve added a reliable MLS center-back in Joel Waterman, as well as crucial depth pieces in Andre Franco and Viktor Radojevic.
The puzzle seems to be complete. Now, it’s time to prove it on the pitch.
When all is said and done, the Chicago Fire can and will be a playoff team.
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