The Chicago Fire potentially saved their season on Saturday night as they defeated Inter Miami 3-2 at DRV PNK Stadium.

The away side took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Chris Mueller and Carlos Terán, but Miami halved the deficit right before the break through Franco Negri. They eventually equalized after a Nicolás Stefanelli header, which set the stage for a thrilling conclusion.

That’s exactly what we got, as Kei Kamara slotted home in stoppage time to secure three massive points for Chicago.

Story of the match

There was a frantic start to the contest, with both sides having opportunities but not doing anything with them. The first save came in the 18th minute, with Chris Brady tipping a long-shot from Jean Mota over the crossbar.

A big chance followed, as Arnaud Souquet picked out Brian Gutiérrez in the box. The cross hit at him was too fast, though, and he failed to get a first-time effort on target. 

The opener came at the half-hour mark, and it was scored by the visitors. The attacking move was a fluid one, as Gutiérrez played Maren Haile-Selassie into space on the right wing. His low ball rolled across the area, and it eventually made its way to Chris Mueller, who then slammed it home from close range.

The Fire made it two moments later. Carlos Terán settled a cross at the far post before trying to hit a pass into the box. It was blocked, and the ball went right back to him. He decided to go for goal instead, and it’s a good thing he did as he absolutely powered a shot into the roof of the net.

Things were looking really good for them, but Miami pulled one back right before the half. A lovely ball from Jean Mota found Franco Negri, and he brought it down before blowing past a defender with a shot-fake. He finished the move off in style, placing a shot with the outside of his boot into the opposite corner.

They continued to press following the break, but Chicago had the next chance of the contest. Kacper Przybyłko set up substitute Mauricio Pineda, who was in loads of space. He swung and missed on his shot attempt, though, and the ball tamely rolled away as a result.

Inter started to take control of the match, but they kept messing up in the final third, which led to wasted openings. They ultimately made the most of their spell of pressure, tying the match up with 15 minutes to go. A superb cross from Negri picked out an unmarked Nicolás Stefanelli at the back post, and his finish was a simple one, as he headed home from a few yards out.

That reset the contest, and the Fire nearly retook the lead minutes later. The debuting Alonso Aceves had the ball fall at his feet following a corner, but he scuffed a volley attempt, and his weak attempt rolled wide.

Just when it seemed like the contest was set to end in a draw, Chicago found a winner. Gutiérrez drove forward on the counter, carrying the ball up the field before laying it off to Kei Kamara. He did what he's done his entire career, and that’s find the back of the net with a smart finish.

Miami tried to mount another comeback, but it was too little too late as the Fire held on to secure a big win.

Takeaways

I assume my issue isn’t a common one, but once again I wasn’t able to watch the game on TV. The Apple TV app on my Roku TV stopped working, and I had to stream the match on my laptop instead. I miss regional broadcasts.

Chicago are going to have a selection headache on their hands when Xherdan Shaqiri returns. The attacking trio of Mueller, Gutiérrez, and Haile-Selassie have been cooking as of late, and the team just looks better going forward with them involved. Shaq shouldn’t automatically come back to the starting lineup when he’s healthy again due to how well the others are playing, but knowing the history of this club, he might. 

Jonathan Dean got his first start on the night, and he had an impressive showing. He was energetic throughout, bombing up and down the left-hand side. It was an especially strong showing considering he was playing on the opposite side from his usual right back role. It wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly better than what Miguel Navarro has been producing.

Arnaud Souquet, on the other hand, struggled again. He faded after a decent start, and he was eventually hauled off at the hour mark. He’s been poor ever since joining the club, and there’s a good chance that he’ll be dropped next weekend.

Referee Tori Penso had a rough night. The game was a chippy one from the get-go, and things only got nastier and nastier as the minutes went by. It didn’t help that she missed a few calls in the opening stages, which led to both sets of players becoming frustrated.

This was certainly some Eastern Conference soccer. 

If the Fire hadn’t scored the winner, and ended this night with just a tie, it probably would’ve been panic stations for all involved. They would’ve blown another lead, and they would’ve gone winless in their first four matches. That doesn’t matter anymore, though, and now they’ll hope that this victory is what finally kickstarts their sluggish season.

Man of the match - Brian Gutiérrez 

Xherdan Shaqiri who?

Due to the Designated Player’s injury issues, Brian Gutiérrez got the nod at the number #10 position, and he absolutely made the most of it.

He was the main man going forward, and whatever Chicago did went through him. The homegrown assisted Chicago’s opener, and then he created the game-winning goal as well. Both came via superb passes, where he set up his teammates with golden opportunities that simply couldn’t be turned away.

It was an attacking masterclass from Gutiérrez, who now has to stay up the middle even when Shaqiri returns.

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