Preseason Check-In: Fire Win Twice in South Florida
It may be too early to draw any conclusions, but the Chicago Fire look good heading into 2026.
The Men in Red launched their preseason with a trip to South Florida, picking up two friendly wins over MLS opponents.
After defeating Nashville SC 4-1, the Fire blanked Sporting Kansas City 1-0 to cap off a perfect first leg.
Here are some takeaways from the trip ahead of the club’s participation in the Coachella Valley Invitational next week.
New Signings Are Clicking
Long before they took to the pitch for the first time in 2026, the Fire were making headlines with their ambitious transfer business. They released and sold numerous players that were once fixtures in the rotation, and brought in talent from all over the world. Immediately, Gregg Berhalter’s roster decisions began to pay dividends.
In the opening game in Florida, Chicago outclassed Nashville largely thanks to the stellar showings of Anton Saletros and Robin Lod. The Scandinavian duo both contributed goals, with Saletros scoring a lovely free kick and Lod assisting Philip Zinckernagel on a well-worked team goal.
Additionally, fans will have been delighted to see David Poreba get on the scoresheet. Signed to the first team in late 2024, Poreba still feels like a new addition. After being named the MLS NEXT Pro MVP in 2024, the 23-year-old missed all of 2025 with an ACL injury. He is yet to make an MLS appearance for the Men in Red.
No Leakage at the Back
While 2025 felt like a new beginning for the Fire, they did have one principal struggle: defending. The team made for an entertaining watch, scoring and conceding a lot week in, week out. Berhalter and his staff will know this isn’t a sustainable way to perform, though. They’ve taken major steps to fix that, both through tactics and new reinforcements.
The assessment of these changes after the first two exhibition games can be summarized as “so far, so good.” With just one goal conceded across 180 minutes of soccer, the Men in Red look confident and composed. Chris Brady looks as solid in goal as he always has. Not to mention, the major defensive addition of the offseason, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, is yet to join the squad. His positional intelligence and aggressive play will be invaluable to the Fire back line.
On to California
After a brief return to the Windy City, the Fire are jetting off to warmer climates once more. They’ll face three more MLS opponents in the Coachella Valley Invitational. Now with a full squad, the club will look to keep its perfect preseason record intact.
Action gets underway on Saturday, February 7th, with Chicago’s first game against the LA Galaxy slated for the following day. The Fire will face Austin FC and the Portland Timbers the following week to wrap up the friendly slate.
Results won’t be the priority, though, heading into the league season in fine form will mean the world to Berhalter and his young squad.
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
