New York City Football Club are in Queens this weekend to host Chicago Fire at Citi Field.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to the Fire's play-by-play commentator Tyler Terens.
Hi Tyler, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering the Chicago Fire?
This will be my third year covering the Fire.
What has been your favorite moment during that time?
My favorite moment so far is our home game against the LA Galaxy about a month ago where we had more than 30k at Soldier Field. Despite the fact it finished 0-0, it was a great showcase for the Fire and an incredibly entertaining match.
It's been all change for the team this season with a new head coach in Ezra Hendrickson and star DP in Xherdan Shaqiri. How would you evaluate the team's start to the campaign?
Obviously, the results haven't been there recently but I genuinely believe this club is headed in the right direction. With Shaqiri, Mueller and Torres all in the side I think the goals will start to come in a more regular basis and the defense has proven it can be one of the toughest to break down in MLS. It's been a slow start but I think this team can do some big things.
Last time the teams met, NYCFC ran out narrow 1-0 winners. How would you say Chicago have changed or improved since that game?
Since that last game there's been a lot of changes at the club from a philosophy, coaching staff and personnel standpoint. This is a completely different looking Chicago Fire FC.
What do you think will be the deciding factor in Sunday's game?
The deciding factor will be defensive transition. Obviously, City love to get out in front of you and Chicago want to try to keep the ball so being able to get numbers back behind the ball quickly will be crucial. Both teams want to run and I think this will be an expansive game.
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?
Reggie's is a great spot pregame and has a bus that drives over to Soldier Field. AJ Hudson's is also a great spot with a proper soccer atmosphere and vibe to it.
