MenInRed97

The Fire went to Nashville looking for their first win in the Music City.... and left disappointed. It continued a downward slide by the Fire that's extended a month at this point, as the team's now winless in seven games.
John and Tim break down the performance, but they spend most of their time focusing on what's not clicking with a squad that once looked like it was about ready to go toe-to-toe with teams like Nashville.

Former Fire assistant Marko Mitrović came to town and snapped the Fire's undefeated streak, turning it now into six straight without a win.
Alex joins John and Tim around The Bonfire to break down Thursday's 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution as the trio talk about what didn't go right on Sunday before switching focus to a tough date in Nashville on Saturday.

A club-record crowd were at Soldier Field to see the Chicago Fire once again take on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami and once again, the GOAT was unable to score against the Men In Red and the teams landed with a 1-1 draw, with the Fire's goal coming from a beautiful Lewandowski strike.
So naturally, John is pissed as hell. It might be because it was a draw, marking the fourth time in a row where the Fire had a draw in league play. As Tim tries to talk him off the ledge on that one, the two debate what isn't clicking with the Fire as they head into the toughest stretch of the season, starting with a discussion of the next team on deck, with Marko Mitrovic's New England Revolution coming up Sunday.

It was an absolute goal fest on the shores of Lake Ontario. Maren Haile-Selassie got his second brace. Lewandowski scored and set up one of Maren's goals and Walker Zimmerman couldn't stop himself from helping Gregg out for old time's sake by adding an own goal. That would have been great except for the fact that Josh Sargent scored a hat trick and Derrick Etienne Jr. added a stoppage time goal that kept the Fire from all three points in the Battle of the Great Lakes.
With John out on the IR, Joe Chatz joins Tim to make sense of it all as they look towards the Fire's upcoming game against Inter Miami and the battle of Barça alums coming up at Soldier Field on Wednesday.

It looked like the Fire were set to have a quiet end to their transfer window. Then this week happened. Recording hours before the transfer window closed, John and  Tim bring in Alex to talk through the flurry of moves, from those that were expected (like acquiring Johan Gómez) to those that weren't (signing Philip Zinckernagel to a new, shorter-term deal that sees him become a DP), to those that, as of recording, haven't officially happened yet (Noah Allen to the Fire).
Join the trio as they break down all of the moves and what it means for a Fire roster that is striving to compete for trophies.

Hot Takes LIVE is so, so back. Matt is joined by Alan, the-Pole-with-the-goal, and John from The Bonfire to talk all things FIRE now that the World Cup is over and Club soccer reigns supreme. But that doesn't mean an end to international matches! John says the Fire laid an egg against Monterrey, do you agree? Lewandowski is scoring goals for GGG, but nobody seems to be celebrating like it's a success. Will Franco or Bamba have a DP spot next season?

The Fire are out of the Leagues Cup courtesy to a 2-1 loss from Hugo Cuypers and CF Monterrey. To help break down what that means and the state of the Fire for the rest of the 2026 season, John and Tim talk to Fire legend Dax McCarty about what he saw last night at SeatGeek Stadium.

The Fire's win streak is over but the undefeated streak continues after a heavily rotated Fire squad gets a point against the Red Bulls in New Jersey. John and Tim break down the issues from the 1-1 draw, but the real focus is ahead: The Fire's next game is against CF Monterrey in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal.

The duo break down what to expect from Hugo Cuyper's and a very strong Rayados squad including other familiar faces to MLS watchers.

The Fire continue their winning ways. It may not have been a picture-perfect victory but it was still a victory. It was also David Poreba's first MLS start as he sets up an assist after making it into the XI with his Robert Lewandowski, his favorite childhood player who sealed the win with a strike from the spot.

Puso Dithejane's emergence is the main story, however, as he once again found the back of the net. John and Tim break down what they liked – and didn't – from a hot muggy night in Orlando.

The Fire's continue their winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Portland – their second in a row over the Timbers but also just the second in the teams' respective MLS histories.
John and Tim talk about all that's working well for the Fire who are on their first five game winning streak in a quarter century, and find themselves singing about some (relatively) unsung heroes in Robin Lod, Maren Haile-Selassie and Sam Rogers, who was starting in MLS play for the first time since February and had a strong performance.
After that, they switch gears to talk about the Fire's upcoming game against Orlando City, but mostly, hone in on why they think that Antoine Griezmann might be a budding Florida Man.

It took until the last half hour to get going but the Chicago Fire found a way to break through and get a win, finishing 3-1 against Santos Laguna in their second game of the Leagues Cup, in a game where seven starters from Thursday rotated, giving 16-year-old Robert Turdean his first minutes and first with the first team.

Before digging into all that, though, the duo talk about the state of the Fire's transfer window, with Leon Goretzka still available – for a price. John and Tim talk about the rumored move and the Fire's transfer strategy for the rest of the window, then Tim talks about one of the shortest – and weirdest – press conferences of his career.

Finally, they preview the Fire's final challenge of the group stage, with the team set to take on Cruz Azul this Thursday, once again at SeatGeek Stadium, and discuss what all but certainly make this the toughest test the Fire have faced in this tournament.

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The Fire went to SeatGeek and walked away with a convincing 2-0 win over Necaxa, giving the team their first W over Liga MX competition in nearly two decades.
John and Tim break it all down, including what they liked about the 4-4-2 and the team's squad rotation in a game where both fullbacks scored goals and guys like Puso Dithejane and Sergio Oregel Jr. shined.

Right after MLS got back... it's stopping for a break. This time, though, the Fire won't be getting a break as they face three opponents in the Leagues Cup in the first time they've been in the tournament in its current format.
Before getting into that, though: The league is getting a new commish! Larry Berg was named longtime MLS Commissioner Don Gaber's successor. John and Tim talk about what might be in store from the new guy before talking about what Garber accomplished in his 27 years on the job. 
Then to get into the Leagues Cup spirit, the duo talk to Leagues Cup Executive Director Tom Mayo about what fans can look forward to in this year's edition of the tournament which includes, for the first time, games hosted in Mexico.
After talking to Tom, they break down the what to look for from the Fire in the competition and in their first game against Necaxa at SeatGeek on Thursday.

The goals came. Robert Lewandowski scored his first goal for the Chicago Fire and then he added his second against Charlotte FC in their first home game since May. John and Tim talk about what went right for the Fire in the game that saw Lewy become the fourth Fire player to bag a brace in his home opener, adding to the list that Frank Klopas started in 1998.
Surprisingly, it's John who decides that it can't be all sunshine and rainbows in Fire land, questioning how good the win was. That gets Tim to dig into into what Berhalter changed up and what it did to make everyone from Lewandowski to Djé D'Avilla look a lot better than they did last week at Yankee Stadium.

With two tough losses in the Fire's first two games back from the World Cup break, John and Tim call for reinforcements. With Alex Calabrese, Alex Campbell and Joe Chatz around The Bonfire, the group discusses what they saw in a forgettable 3-1 loss at Yankee Stadium – hopefully the Fire's last-ever in that venue.
The quintet then talks about what's made the Lewandowski era get off to a rough start – and what it'll take to right the ship, with a busy stretch including Leagues Cup on the horizon.

Robert Lewandowski makes his debut in Miami and doesn't score in a game where the Fire looked like the rustier of the two teams coming off of a two-month break. To talk about what they did and didn't see in Miami, John and Tim rope in Arman Kafai of Footy Analytic Musings.

With Arman, one of the smartest guys in the business at the Bonfire for the first time, Tim and John use it as an opportunity to talk about everything that didn't seem to go right on a hot humid night in Miami.

Give it a listen for Arman's insights, and remember: However bad your day is going, at least you didn't whiff on a slow back pass as bad as bad as Rocco Rios Novo did in front of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe.

And just like that, he's gone. Hot on the heels of Lewandowski's arrival, Hugo Cuypers departs for CF Monterrey in a deal we were told came together fast. Where does that leave the Fire? What does it mean for the rest of their season? What does it mean for their transfer window?
Joe Chatz joins John and Tim as they break it all down – while trying to avoid breaking down. Join the trio as they process it all and then give the least tactically-sophisticated preview of the Fire's upcoming game this Wednesday at the new Nu Stadium against Inter Miami.

Lewy is here! In Chicago! We have photographic proof! John and Tim are joined by special guest Andrew Claussen from Backheeled. The duo pick Andrew's tactical brain as they talk about hopes — and fears — for the Fire's biggest signing in history ahead of his all-but-certain debut on Thursday, along with what made Spain so good at strangling France's potent attack in a World Cup semifinal.
Oh — and a game on Thursday! Andrew gets John and Tim to join in a chorus of saying complimenting Vancouver — and Andrew, unbidden, sneaks in a complement to the Fire in doing so.
They talk about why this feels like a must-win even though with both teams at or near the top of their conferences, it isn't.

MLS is back! The Fire are unveiling Lewandowski on Tuesday! They have a game on Thursday! And no, the World Cup isn't over yet!
John and Tim talk about the Round of 16 exits by the USMNT (and get in to a bit with Mexico) before diving in to a mailbag full of questions about what's in store for the rest of the Fire's season  — and Lewandowski's impending arrival.

Matt, Alan and Parker emerge from a World Cup induced haze to talk about the World Cup. Good job boys, that's progress. As the 2026 edition of the tournament approaches the half way point, are you picking Spain or France to take it all? Or maybe someone else? Will the Golden Boot come to MLS via Messi, or will Mbappé going to run away with it?  Parker plays back the predictions the crew made before the World Cup kicked off, any bets how they did? Recorded LIVE June 25th, 2026!

Special guest Tom Bogert — now an official friend of the pod — joins John and Tim as Robert Lewandowski's move to the Chicago Fire moves frum rumor to official. Tom and Tim talk about what they know — with a deal all but confirmed but no ink on paper as of the time of recording.

The trio then discuss what Lewandowski's signing would mean for the Fire, both on and off the pitch: What does Lewy's arrival mean for Hugo Cuypers, the Fire's Golden Boot-leading striker? Will two prove to be a dynamic duo, or will Hugo find himself in a new uniform before the end of the season?
Tom then talks about his reporting with Paul Tenorio about the Fire's continued pursuit of German midfielder Leon Goretzka, confirmed to be moving on from Bayern and currently with the German National Team as they seek to advance in the World Cup.

Speaking of — for the first time ever, two Chicago Fire players met on opposing sides of a World Cup match, as Joel Waterman's CanMNT teammates arranged for the World Cup exit for Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Bafana Bafana.

If it feels like it's been a while, well, it has. Friend of the pod Joe Chatz makes it worth the wait, however, as he joins John and Tim to talk about all that's happened since last time, starting with Hugo Cuypers and Mbekezeli Mbokazi's first XI All-Star nods.
After that, they switch focus to USMNT's friendly against Germany and find things to like even though the game ended in a 2-1 defeat — starting with the fun atmosphere that temporarily made Chicago the center of the country's soccer attention.
Then the trio moves on from the game that was to the games to be played, with the World Cup finally upon us. There's a lot of Fire connections to be made with a record three active players going from Chicago to the world's biggest stage, and the trio break down what to expect from the Bafana Bafana, Canada and the USMNT in their tournaments — and talk about the rise of Fire homegrown Brian Gutiérrez and Mexico, starting with the tournament's opening match that pits Guti against Mbokazi.

Matt Shableman is joined by Alan, the Pole with the Goal, the Sax in the Section, Królikowski, special guest Nick Poteres of Glass House Soccer and Matt's very own groomsman and guiding light, Eray, to talk about a soccer club that is not playing competitive soccer right now. But that doesn't stop the guys from dreaming up a scheme to grab a Championship in 2026. Maybe Ted Lasso was onto something when he told us, "It's the hope that will kill ya," but I'm writing this and am on team cup in '26! This month, we asked you all to vote on if Barroso should go-so, if Franco's new ACL will be as good as his last ACL, and which Fire superstar will win when Brian Gutiérrez and Mexico take on Mbekezeli Mbokazi and South Africa at the World Cup.  John, host of The Bonfire, isn't given the chance to defend himself or the quality of folk hero Johnny Dean in the wake of the Fire's growing stature. Sorry John. The Golden Arches are finally coming to Chicago (strictly in terms of stadium naming rights), something that the World Cup could never do. Recorded LIVE on May 27, 2026.

The Fire closed the first half of their season on a high note, getting a hard-fought 2-1 win over visiting Toronto FC. Before getting into that, though, John and Tim get struck with World Cup fever and ask if Poch is even bothering to phone it in with the USMNT.
When they actually get down to the game at hand, the hosts find a lot to like from a gritty performance. From Robin Lod's improved form, resulting in the opening goal, to Berhalter making adjustments at half that finally seemed to tighten things up with the 4-4-2, all the way to Djé's strong performance off the bench, John and Tim take a lot of positives from a game that was far from the prettiest game on the pitch in the Fire's last game for a month and a half.

With the World Cup looming, John and Tim talk about the Berhalter's public statements around Lewandowski.  After beating a single quote from Gregg to death, John wonders why Tim brought up Lupe Fiasco before the pair finally put two and two together and remember that there's a game on Saturday.
With the Fire set to face Toronto, the duo talk about what they want to see from the Men in Red in their final chance to show improvement in the first half of the season.

The Fire earned their second road win, sweeping the home-and-away series against CF Montréal. So obviously John and Tim spend the better part of half an hour talking about everything that they didn't like. In between finding nits to pick, though, they took time to shout out a great performance by Chris Brady and the quiet excellence of Philip Zinckernagel, all while wondering if Hugo Cuypers's Golden Boot-leading season is slowly getting overshadowed by the looming arrival of a certain recently unemployed Polish striker.
Even if the performance on the pitch may not have been enough to inspire the hosts, at least John and Tim enjoyed it in style — Tim put on his reporter hat and went to Soccer House, the new soccer-only bar in Chicago, where talked to the owner and met up with John (IRL). The duo talked about what they thought of Chicago's new best place to catch World Cup matches.

The Fire had their first come-from-behind win in a 3-1 victory over D.C. United as torrential rain fell on Audi Field. John and Tim break down what they liked, and what they didn't from an effort in D.C. that got the result but somehow left a lot to be desired. There's also news from The 78, as the Fire's new home has a name. Tim really, really pushes for us to all call McDonald's Park "the Burgerbeu" while John points out that we'll probably just end up calling it "The Mac."  With little time to focus on the game that was, they then switch focus to the upcoming match in against CF Montréal in La Belle Province up north.

The Fire put together an uninspiring performance against the New York Red Bulls and suffered their third consecutive home defeat across all comps as a result. John and Tim talk about what went wrong against the Baby Bulls before getting a discussion about how much change is warranted with a game against D.C. United coming up midweek. As John looks for glass to break and an alarm to pull, Tim talks about the lack of game changers on the bench... before saying that the Fire should start some of them in the next game.

Matt returns with Alan and Daniel react to YOUR takes LIVE! Is Hugo Cuypers going to top Nikolic's single season goal scoring record? Can the Fire stay about D.C. United? Mbokazi has committed mistakes recently that set the Fire back, is he a generational talent anyway? We heard your Hot Takes too! Dean has to GO! Lewandowski can stay in Spain! The Midfield is the problem! Recorded LIVE 05/07/2026

The Fire face off against a Red Bull New York side featuring a plethora young American prospects headed up by new coach Michael Bradley in Soldier Field in an Eastern Conference clash.

John is joined by Alex Campbell of CHGO Sports to break down the project being undertaken in New York and how the Fire can take advantage this weekend as they look for breathing room near the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Fire look to close out a win after letting two slip away in a matter of days, while RBNY try to stop a 3 game skid of their own. Three important points are up for grabs Saturday, who will come out on top?

The Fire's rematch against Cincinnati had everything you could ask for — goals, penalties, red cards and shots galore — as long as you didn't ask for a win for the Fire. John and Tim hash out what went wrong and call out a couple young players for especially rough performances before asking how long it'd be before Berhalter remembered that he make substitutes. They also find a minute between shameless plugs for the "5 Things We Learned" piece they cowrote to praise Hugo Cuypers for his performances in a season where he's now got a share of the Golden Boot lead, all while Tim tries to make "xG farming" a thing.

The Fire went to SeatGeek for the first time in 2026 as they hosted St. Louis City and walked out feeling upset with an early exit in the Cup. John and Tim have a mostly civilized discussion about  squad rotation as they talk over what went wrong in Bridgeview. Then they forget everything Coach Ted Lasso taught them about goldfish as they let the discussion flow from Wednesday's disappointing match into what they expect from the Fire's upcoming rematch against FC Cincinnati this Saturday.

It took a while for them to get started, but by the end, the Fire smoked Sporting Kansas City 5-0. John and Tim break down the first five goal win in front of home fans for the Fire this decade, and talk about what they liked about a game that saw four goal contributions from Maren and a brace of braces from Hugo and Zinck... but they've got one eye on this Wednesday's Open Cup matchup against St. Louis City, the team from across the state for both the Fire and Kansas City.

The Fire set to host Sporting Kansas City, a team featuring familiar faces in Raphaël Wicky and Justin Reynolds on Saturday.
That's not all that's familiar about this year's SKC team: Like the Fire in so many years past, they're on the outside of the postseason looking in, as everything seems to have gone wrong in Kansas City, with little hope on the horizon. The Fire, meanwhile, are now a team with something unfamiliar from years past — expectations, including expectations of a win against bottom-of-table opponents.
John and Tim talk about what that means, and what counts as success when the expectation is already three points.

Hugo Cuypers came back into the Fire's lineup and made an immediate impact as he got involved in all three goals for the Fire in Cincinnati. Hugo the Selfless Striker may be the King of Queen City, but it's not all hearts for the Fire as the team can't hold a late two goal lead, settling for a 3-3 draw. John and Tim talk about what went wrong late in Cincinnati, as well the elite seasons that Cuypers and Brady have been having.

In U.S. Open Cup action Jason Shokalook gets a brace in his first team debut to send the Fire past Detroit City 2-1 as one of four players getting their first start for the first team — but Detroit's Darren Smith made it interesting.  John and Tim talk the Fire's performance, focusing on the four first-time starters for the Men In Red. Then they switch focus to what's next as they break down the Fire's next game when they head to FC Cincinnati, suddenly a bottom feeder in the giant blob that is the Eastern Conference so far this year.

John and Tim look back at the Fire's win over the Five Stripes of Atlanta and Maren Haile-Selassie's highly productive match. Gregg Berhalter will take his side to Hamtranck, Michigan to open Chicago's 2026 US Open Cup campaign on Tuesday, April 14th. When Hugo Cuypers returns from injury, will Robin Lod have shown enough to keep his spot over Maren? Fire end weekend 2nd in the Eastern Conference and 5th in the Supporter's Shield race; on the back of a strong defensive year as the attack lacks a spark.

The Fire are back at home as they take on Atlanta United, a team that's trying to go back to the future, reuniting Miguel Almirón and Tata Martino. So far, it hasn't gone great, and Tata's out for this one after a red card received during a mass confrontation during last week's loss to the Crew. John and Tim chat about why that is as well as what to expect from the Fire after their second win in a row, even as they once again featured a new Starting XI combination with Hugo Cuypers out.

Zinck scores the Fire's fastest goal in team history and Brady's acrobatic saves push keep the clean sheet — giving he Fire their second-ever win against a Nashville side that came to town undefeated and atop the Supporters Shield standings. And all of that without Hugo Cuypers in a game where a still-recuperating Jack Elliott was thrust into the XI at the last minute
John and Tim talk about another complete team performance where it felt like the Fire felt comfortable seeing what feels like it could be a 1-0 signature win.

John and Tim invite Kyndra De St. Aubin from Apple TV to The Bonfire ahead of Chicago Fire's matchup against Nashville SC. The game, coming off the international break, will be the Fire's sternest test yet as they host the current Supporters Shield leaders at Soldier Field. Can Gregg Berhalter wash away the team's worst defeat in team history with a result at Soldier Field?

It's the end of March and the season hasn't gone exactly how GGG and the Fire have planned. Is All-Star performer Philip Zinkernagel headed to the bench? Mbekezeli Mbokazi came to Chicago with all of South Africa behind him, has he lived up to that kind of hype? Lod came in to compliment Franco like Brian Gutiérrez, has he filled the hole? Live call-ins are back! Recorded LIVE March 26th, 2026.

The Fire go to Philadelphia — the team that won the Supporters Shield last year and ended their season — and walk away with 3 points after a gritty team effort.
John and Tim break down a strong team performance where Hugo Cuypers bags his fourth goal in as many appearances and Bamba bags another. They talk about Viktor Radojeviç's first serious minutes with the Fire and the maturation of the squad in a game where Radojević, along with teammates like Djé D'Avilla and Mobkezeli Mobkazi, matched the physicality of the Philadelphia Union and where the midfield shows that it is rolling into form.

John and Tim invite Apple TV's Danny Higginbotham to The Bonfire ahead of Chicago Fire's matchup against the Philadelphia Union. Saturday's game is a playoff rematch against two teams who find themselves lower on the table than they would have expected. Can the Fire use their fluid and speedy offense to unlock Philp Zinkernagel? Mbekezeli Mbokazi will look to continue to build his resume ahead of a chance at a World Cup callup.

John and Tim gather around The Bonfire after the Fire drop 3 points to DC United in a come-from-behind loss at home. A handful of first teamers started in the Fire II win over Chattanooga FC. GGG and the Fire continue to struggle with Guti-Franco sized hole in the midfield. Philip Zinkernagel does a lot but the offense isn't finding the back of net during the run of play.

John and Tim chat at The Bonfire in the wake of Gregg Berhalter's side moving to 1-1-1 with a draw in Columbus. Chris Mueller starts up top after Hugo Cuypers sat out with an injury. The Fire return to 3 in the back and keep a clean sheet against a Crew side that historically puts goals past Chicago's Keepers. Chris Brady gave a strong performance against a side that generated 1.7xG.

John and Tim gather 'round The Bonfire and look ahead to Columbus, where the Fire take on the Crew this weekend. Joe Mansueto breaks ground on the club's new, privately funded home at The 78.

John and Tim join around The Bonfire and recap the Fire's first home win of the season. Jonathan Dean was sent off for a denial of goal scoring opportunity, but Gregg Berhalter's side added to Montréal's woes and saw out a 3-0 victory. Jonathan Bamba returns to the starting XI alongside Captain Jack Elliot, and Mauricio Pineda.