New York City Football Club face Chicago Fire on Sunday evening.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to writer for Hot Time In Old Town, Alex Calabrese.
Hi Alex, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering the Chicago Fire?
This is my first season covering the Chicago Fire.
What has been your highlight during that time?
The highlight for me has to be the 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders in July. When things seemed bleak and most wrote off the Fire’s playoff chances, this win secured back-to-back victories and launched a five-game unbeaten streak to put the team right back into the playoff race. On that night, you could really feel the buzz around the team and in the dressing room after defeating the reigning Concacaf champion, and it definitely felt like a turning point in this season.
The season started with a new coach and star DP. How would you evaluate the team's campaign?
The cliché of a "rollercoaster" of a season is certainly overused, but there's no better way to describe the Fire’s 2022. Headlined by the arrival of Swiss DP Xherdan Shaqiri and the emergence of teenager goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, the Fire had very high expectations but, after a strong start, would embark on a ten-game winless run in the spring. However, since then, they have looked like a different team and have strung together several impressive results, including back-to-back road wins against Vancouver and Charlotte. Things are finally starting to click for Shaqiri, and others like Chris Mueller, Fede Navarro, and Rafa Czichos are coming into their own under rookie Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson.
Last time the teams met, NYCFC ran out narrow 1-0 winners. What do you think will be the deciding factor in Sunday's game?
The Fire's attacking quartet will be the deciding factor in this game. The Fire have been mostly very solid at the back when at full strength and are among the clean sheet leaders in the league, but the question is now, can they put the ball in the back of the net? When Shaqiri and Mueller are at their best, they are two of the most impactful attackers in the league, while Jhon Durán and Kacper Przybyłko have both had their moments when playing as the center forward. Homegrown attacking midfielder Brian Gutiérrez could also prove to be a wild card as he has had an impressive breakout season. They just need to put it all together.
Finally, for any of our fans that may be in Chicago for a game in the near future, what spots would you suggest they check out?
There is no shortage of fun things to do in Chicago, and there are lots of great areas in the Windy City. The Riverwalk and Lakefront are both splendid places to check out, while Wrigleyville and the West Loop are home to lots of great food. Though this week's game will be played at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, the park areas and museums around Soldier Field make up one of the best stadium locations in Major League Soccer.
