New York City Football Club are on the road again this weekend as they take on the Chicago Fire FC.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Alex Calabrese, Editor-in-Chief of Men In Red 97, a website dedicated to covering the Fire.
Hi Alex, thanks so much for speaking with us. How long have you been covering the Fire?
This is my second season covering the Chicago Fire.
What's been your highlight in that time?
My first year covering the team, 2022, was pretty devoid of highlights. However, there were a few exciting moments during that season. The first that comes to mind is the 3-2 win over FC Cincinnati towards the end of last year. Though the Fire were already eliminated from playoff contention by that point, it was an exciting performance that provided hope for the future. Standout homegrown midfielder Brian Gutiérrez scored once and added two magnificent assists, while 18-year-old Jhon Durán (who has since joined Aston Villa for $20 million) scored twice. The sale of homegrown goalkeeper Gaga Slonina to Chelsea last summer was also an exciting moment; it showed that Chicago could produce a talent for one of the elite clubs in the world.
How would you evaluate the 2022 season?
Ultimately, the 2022 season was not a success since the Fire did not make the playoffs, and, at the end of the day, they weren’t particularly close. It had started with such optimism; first-time head coach Ezra Hendrickson welcomed Swiss DP Xherdan Shaqiri, and young stars like Gaga Slonina, Fede Navarro, Jhon Durán, and Brian Gutiérrez all emerged. However, due to a 10-game winless run during the Spring, the Fire were never truly in the playoff race, and with Slonina and Durán headlining a list of offseason departures, there’s a lot of work to do to be a competitor in 2023.
What are you most excited about with the Fire in 2023?
The continued growth of the young core is the most exciting part of this Fire team. 18-year-old Chris Brady, another homegrown from the Chicago suburbs, will have an opportunity to show that he should be Slonina’s successor in goal; he is also an immensely talented shot-stopper. Brian Gutiérrez is primed for a breakout season following a hot finish to 2022 for club and country. Young Greek striker Georgios Koutsias has also been signed in the last few days and appears to be someone with immense promise and potential to be a goal machine in MLS.
If you were to identify the Fire's dangerman who would that be?
Xherdan Shaqiri did not have his best year in 2022, only managing to score from open play three times. However, he is still the team’s star player, and any success the Fire will have in the final third will likely run through him. Chris Mueller and Brian Gutiérrez will also pose an attacking threat from the wide positions and, if on form, will provide many opportunities for whoever is the starting striker (whether that be Kacper Przybyłko or new arrival Kei Kamara).
And for any of our fans that might be in Chicago for the game, where would you suggest they stop pregame?
Unlike last season, NYCFC will have the chance to play at the Fire’s historic home venue, Soldier Field, which is based in the heart of downtown Chicago. The stadium is located at Chicago’s museum campus, which contains numerous attractions such as the Field Museum, Planetarium, and Aquarium. Michigan Avenue and the “Loop” are also right down the road, and you can find just about anything else in those downtown areas.
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