New York City FC welcome Chicago Fire FC to Citi Field on Saturday.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Ruben Tisch, founder of
Hi Ruben, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering the Chicago Fire?
This is my 14th season (my goodness) covering the Fire. I spent the first 12 years covering it for SB Nation and now I have a Patreon.
What has been your highlight in that time?
The Highlight would probably be the 2017 season where the Fire finished 3rd in the east and were top of the Supporters Shield standings going into August.
What have been your thoughts on the 2024 season so far?
2024 has been brutal if I'm honest. While things like the return to the red kit have been exciting, the team itself has been underperforming expectations and should be better than they are, record-wise. The problem has been a lack of consistency. One day they look like they can challenge the best teams in the league, and the next they're giving up 4 goals and looking like wooden spoon contenders.
What are your hopes for what remains of the campaign?
I'd like to see the team get healthy and to have some of the young players start breaking out. With Georg Heitz announcing he's leaving the club at the end of the season, there's most likely going to be a completely new technical staff next season and about a third of the roster will be out of contract. I'd like to see who's going to step up and claim one of the open spots for themselves so the new Front Office can concentrate on finding real difference-makers in the winter transfer market. A playoff run would be nice but I'm not counting on it. Also if they could beat Miami at home again, that would be cool.
What do you think will be the deciding factor in Saturday's game?
The field size and which team uses it better is going to decide the game. Both the Fire and NYCFC are going to have an easier time staying compact on defense so it's going to come down to who can brute force their way free to get shots on goal.
And for any fans that might be in Chicago for a game in the near future are there any spots you'd suggest they check out?
Thanks to FX show The Bear, the Italian Beef is having itself a moment on the national stage. I would recommend Mr. Beef on Orleans Street (where the show is filmed) or the original Al's Italian Beef on Taylor Street if you want to stay close to the loop. If you're willing to go adventuring though, Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park is the best in the area. Manny's Deli in the South Loop is a great lunch spot. And if you're lucky, you may find our head coach at the Greek Islands for dinner.
As for non-food stuff to do, Take the Architecture boat tour or check out one of the museums next to Soldier Field on game day. There's too much cool stuff to do - so you won't get bored.
