The Chicago Fire’s 2023 campaign finally kicks off this weekend as they’ll host NYCFC at Soldier Field on Saturday night.
The rest of Major League Soccer started the season last week, but since there’s an odd amount of teams in the league, someone had to sit out. That ended up being Chicago, who got a bit of added rest as a result.
New York did play, and their game was a borderline disaster as they were comprehensively beaten by Nashville SC 2-0 on the road. It was a brutal debut for a reshuffled NYCFC side, and they looked like a shell of the team that won MLS Cup back in 2021. It was just one game, but another showing like that will really worry the fanbase.
All that being said, this contest could prove to be an important one, even if it’s only week two.
Team news
Chicago will be without youngsters Sergio Oregel Jr and Justin Reynolds, while Chris Brady and Mauricio Pineda are doubts for the contest.
New York, on the other hand, has everyone available for selection going into this weekend.
Predicted lineups
Chicago Fire: Brady, Souquet, Terán, Czichos, M. Navarro, F. Navarro, Giménez, Torres, Shaqiri, Mueller, Przybyłko
NYCFC: Barraza, Gray, Martins, Chanot, Cufré, Haak, Parks, Pereira, Pellegrini, Thiago, Magno
Ones to watch
Xherdan Shaqiri
It’s time for Chicago to see the best of Xherdan Shaqiri.
The story of his 2022 season is well known by now. He came to the club with plenty of fanfare, but he was never really able to hit top form. The attacker dealt with injuries for most of the campaign, he had to get used to playing in a new league, and he had to get used to playing in a new position as well.
Those shouldn’t be factors this year. Shaqiri may have played at the World Cup, but he had the remainder of the offseason to rest up and recover from the nagging issues he was dealing with. He’s also had all of last season to adjust to Major League Soccer, and even though there are some doubts on whether or not he should be playing centrally, that’s his role in the team now.
The Switzerland international has to be better, and that has to start this weekend. Everyone knows how good he can be, and he showed that in glimpses last season. Now, he has to be consistent.
How Shaqiri plays could make or break Chicago’s entire season. If he can hit the heights some are expecting of him, then he could drag the team into the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference standings. If he struggles once again, though, then it could cost the club a spot in the postseason.
Fortunately for the Fire, the number #10 seems like a player who thrives under pressure.
Talles Magno
It’s important to remember just how talented Talles Magno is.
Joining NYCFC in May of 2021, the Brazilian came in as one of the most exciting youngsters on the planet. He had won the U-17 World Cup with his country, and he was named one of the top 50 wonderkids in world football by Goal. His signing was certainly one of those that caught the attention of others.
Magno didn’t have much of a role in his first season, as he was a rotational piece of the New York side that won MLS Cup that year. He became a starter the following campaign, and he took off early on. He had five goals and six assists to his name before mid-July, and he seemed to be a key piece of a team that was looking to contend again.
However, that changed when Taty Castellanos departed in the summer. Magno’s numbers dropped off a cliff, and a move to striker didn’t help things. It got so bad that he lost his starting spot in the lineup going into the postseason, and he only made one appearance off the bench in his side’s three postseason games, although he did grab a goal during that cameo.
So, in the short time that he has been in New York, fans have already seen the best and the worst of him. When he has help and he’s being used properly, the youngster can be a star. However, if there’s an issue with the lineup, either on his end or elsewhere, then he can disappear from games.
Due to the club’s lack of options at striker, Magno had to play up top last weekend against Nashville, and he struggled. None of his teammates were any better, of course, but it was still a rough start to the campaign for him. Then again, it was only the start.
The Brazilian is a matchwinner, so he could turn things around in the blink of an eye. He might run riot at Soldier Field if the Fire aren’t prepared for him, which would remind everyone why he’s still such a highly-touted prospect.
Last time out
These two sides faced off near the end of last summer.
Due to the timing of the contest, there was a fair bit on the line in terms of playoff implications. Chicago was fighting to keep their dreams alive, while New York was trying to build some momentum going into the postseason. In the end, it was the latter that won out on the day.
After an uneventful opening 15 minutes, NYCFC jumped out in front. Gabriel Pereira was simply allowed to walk into space on the edge of the area, and once he got the ball it was all over. He took a touch to settle himself, and then he absolutely blasted a strike into the top corner past a helpless Gabriel Slonina.
The rest of the first half was pretty even, with both sides threatening to score the next goal. It was eventually the visitors who grabbed that goal moments after the halftime break, though, effectively sealing the result.
Rafael Czichos was dispossessed at the back, and the ball fell right to Santiago Rodríguez in the area, who made the most of the mistake by rifling home from close range. There was an argument that Chicago’s captain was fouled during the play, and it didn’t seem like the goal would stand at first, but in the end nothing was called.
The Fire just didn’t have it in them to respond. They were toothless going forward, and they failed to create much of anything down the stretch. That meant the scoreline stayed at 2-0, with New York picking up three much-needed points in the process.
How to watch
The match kicks off at 7:30 pm CST, and it will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.