Feed the Fire: A Chicago Fire Podcast

Hey, soccer fans! Chicago Fire FC defeated Nashville SC 1-0 over the weekend. Since joining Major League Soccer, Nashville has gotten the best of the Men in Red, winning 9 of 10 matches. But the Fire put together a legendary performance with Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Jack Elliott, Maren Haile-Selassie, and Chris Brady deliverying highlights that will be talked about for years to come. And that's not to mention Philip Zinckernagel scoring the fastest goal in club history! Tune in as Nick gives you a recap of mythical proportions. We also take a brief look ahead to the Fire's next few matches against Atlanta United, Detroit City FC, FC Cincinnati, and Sporting Kansas City. The Chicago Fire could find themselves in a great spot  in the standings as they approach the World Cup Break. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire host a red hot Nashville SC team this weekend at Soldier Field. Tune in as Nick previews the matchup, including the tactics and players the Men in Red need to watch out for. Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, and Cristian Espinoza make from a triple-threat - not unlike the Fire's own Hugo Cuypres, Jonathan Bamba, and Philip Zinckernagel. We'll see which offense wins the day and which defense can disrupt their opponents. Nick also discusses the spectacular goal from Mbekezeli Mbokazi while on international duty with South Africa and brings up some criticism of the defender from his Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos. We also discuss the Fire's next opponent in the US Open Cup, USL Championship side Detroit City FC. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Hope you all had a great Spring Break and soccer International Break, and you're ready for Major League Soccer to be back in action! In this episode, Nick breaks down the Chicago Fire's victory over the Philadelphia Union, noting the goals but also worried about the narrow victory over the worst team in MLS. He also discussed the status, lineups, and standings. In the second half of the show, Nick examines the MLS Sprint Season and the signing of Antoine Griezmann by Orlando City. There are questions that the 35 year old striker will have to answer, but other aging players in Florida have proven themselves quite capable in MLS. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Are you as angry as Nick is? On a cold night on the lakefront, the Chicago Fire frustrated fans with bad officiating, bad tactics, and bad individual performances en route to a 2-1 loss against DC United. Tune in as Nick breaks down the problems with the ref, the poos line-up and tactical choices, and wonders when the attacking players will actually start shooting on goal. In the second half of the show, Nick recaps the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament and results so far. He gives his preferred matchups and predicts the winner of the tournament. He also touches on the Houston Dynamo new assistant coach, former Men in Red manager Ezra Hendrickson. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! No one likes boring soccer, and no one likes a draw. So by that logic, no one liked the Chicago Fire's match against the Columbus Crew this weekend. Both teams were dealing with injuries and neither wanted to press their attack too hard and give up a an easy counter-attack goal to lose the match. As a result, we saw a game played in the middle third of the field. There were a couple good chances by each team - for the Men in Red, newcomers Dylan Borso and Mbekezeli Mbokazi could've found game winners - but Patrick Schulte and Chris Brady were up to the challenge. Listen in as Nick breaks down the big plays, analyzes the statisticis, and expresses his concerns for the Fire's position thus far. He also discusses the news of former Columbus Crew players Yaw Yeboah and Derrick Jones receiving lifetime bans from Major League Soccer for gambling on games they played in. How does this affect MLS' reputation and how will their new partnership with predictive market platform Polymarket be affected? Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! This weekend, the Chicago Fire travel to Ohio to face Eastern Conference rivals Columbus Crew. The Crew are at home for the first time this young season and are looking for their first win. Led by Diego Rossi and Waseem Abou Ali, the home team will have a potent offense. But can they find success against Jack Elliott, Joel Waterman, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, and the Fire backline? Can the Crew hold off the attack of Hugo Cuypers, Jonathan Bamba, and Philip Zinckernagel? Tune in as Nick takes a look at how each team will likely approach the match and what the Men in Red need to do to secure an early road victory. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back talking Chicago Fire FC and talking about a win during their home opener. Goals from Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cuypers, and Robin Lod propelled the Men in Red to a victory despite playing with 10-men after a questionable Jonathan Dean red card. Tune in as Nick breaks down teh goals, the key plays, and the stand-out player performances. He also provides a round-up of all the latest Chicago Fire and MLS headlines, including updates on the new stadium at The 78, the failed Kit Cab, and a restructure at MLS headquarters. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! MLS is back! Nick recaps the Chicago Fire's openeing weekend loss in Houston to the Dynamo by looking at the goals, stats, and general poor performance by the Men in Red. We also hear from our very own soccer scout, John Donovan, on his analysis of the match. Nick concludes his series on player profiles, discussing the history and recent performance of the attacking players for the Fire. He projects where the wingers and strikers will be throughout the course of the season and where they will be at the end of their contracts. Get to know more about your hometown team and the current and future stars of Major League Soccer. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back talking the Chicago Fire stadium developments, roster updates, and firing back at the MLS Soccer Staff pundits and analysts who think the Men in Red will regress this season. What do Kaylen Kyle and Bradley Wright-Phillips know about Chicago anyway!? More people should listen to Dax McCarty. In the second half of the show, Nick brings in special guest Favian Renkel of Kickbase. A longtime MLS journalist and longer time MLS fan, Favian gives his reactions on the Fire's 2025 season, what he expects from them in 2026, and provides his take on some of the storylines throughout the league. Make sure to listen to the end to hear about Kickbase's new MLS Fantasy app and the plans they have for the future of MLS Fantasy. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire concluded their preseason at the Coachella Valley Invitational with a 4-3 loss to the Portland Timbers. Tune in as Nick gives you his notes on the pre-season, including how the Men in Red can improve on defense, sustain their offense, and still surprise a few teams this season. We also continue our series on player profiles, this episode focusing on the Fire midfielders. Get the background info and projections on Anton Saletros, Robin Lod, Andre Franco, Dje D'Avilla, Sergio Oregel, Mauricio Pineda, Dylan Borso, Robert Turdean, and Sam Williams. Who do you thinks stars? Who makes the leap forward? Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire's pre-season continues and Nick has all his notes on their latest match, a 2-2 draw against Austin FC. Goals from Andrew Gutman and Jack Elliott came off of corner kicks, and set-piece coach Ryan Needs seems to finally be making an impact on the squad. The Men in Red still need to shore up some gaps in the backline, but the attack looks as threatenting as it's ever been. Nick continues his player profiles in this episode, focusing on the outside backs: Gutman, Jonathan Dean, Leonardo Barroso, and Viktor Radojevic. Tune in and learn about how they came to the Fire and how Nick projects them this season. We also review the various theme nights and new kit launch for the 2026 season. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire took to the pitch for their first match in the Coachella Valley Invitational and defeated the LA Galaxy by a score of 3-2. Tune in as Nick breaks down the lineups, notable plays, and the goals - scored by Cuypers, Zinckernagel, and Mueller - and what it means for the upcoming regular season. Nick also continues his player profiles series, this time focusing on the Fire's centerbacks. Listen in as he gives you the background, projections, salary info, and bios of Jack Elliott, Joel Waterman, Sam Rogers, Christopher Cupps, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi. He even throughs in a brief profile of former Fire II centerback Diego Konincks for comparison. The group looks talented, deep, and competative - and they'll need to be in order to turn around one of the worst defensive units in Major League Soccer. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back discussed the latest news in Major League Soccer and the Chicago Fire. This episode, he reviews the Men in Red's acquisition of three additional international roster spots, how their value has increased, and how the Fire still need to get into roster compliance. He also ponders on the role of MLS in the development of American players. Has MLS killed development for the sake of monopolizing talent? Do they owe "American soccer" or the USMNT a duty to develop players? In the second half, Nick profiles each of the Chiago Fire's three goalkeepers: Chris Brady, Jeff Gal, and Josh Cohen. Learn about their playing history, their role in the current Fire team, and what their future might hold - in MLS and abroad. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! New month, new opportunities, new shows! The Chicago Fire had their media day last week, and Gregg Berhalter and his players gave us a lot of great quotes to analyze. Nick focused on themes of expectations and new player integration - perenneial playoff appearances is now the floor for the club, and there are players that appear to be eyeing a trophy this season. Tune in to hear the quotes and Nick's reactions. Nick also provides an update on Major League SOccer's newest partner, Polymarket, a predication market company, and technically not sports gambling. Despite being legal in all fifty states and MLS wanting to ensure integrity in the market, this seems like another gambling sponsor. And as gambling has more influence over the league, the game will suffer. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back with all the latest updates frm around Major League Soccer and the Chicago Fire as it relates to roster construction and transfers. Tune in has he reviews the six amendments to the roster rules and regulations in MLS and how the Men in Red - and the rest of the league - are already using them to their advantage. Nick also runs another lighting-round of transfer updates, informing you of all the moves from around the league. How active has your team been this off-season? Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! I hope you're keeping warm this January. The Chicago Fire certainly are keeping us engaged with the latest transfer moves - Kellyn Acosta and the club have mutually parted ways. The MLS veteran helped bring the Men in Red into a new era under Gregg Berhalter, setting standards in training, professionalism, and play - and gave us one of the most memorable goals in Chicago Fire history, the Windy City Miracle against Montreal in 2024. Tune in to hear Nick's thoughts on Acosta's impact and how the roster has to evolve without him. The Fire also sign another South African international, Puso Dithejane, a winger from TS Galaxy. Dithejane brings youth, depth, and speed to the Fire wings. Nick discusses where they new player will fit within the Fire's system and how this could be the first domino to fall to shake up the winger position on the roster. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Happy New Year! The sudden firing of Wilfried Nancy by Celtic Football Club got Nick thinking: Can Major League Soccer coaches find success abroad? To test this theory, he looks at the recent, former coaches of the Chicago Fire: Frank Klopas, Ezra Hendrickson, Raphael Wicky, and Veljko Paunovic. Despite the small sample size, Nick is able to draw some larger conclusions based on the former managers of the Men in Red. Tune in as he breaks down their careers and analyzes whether MLS managers can find success abroad. Nick looks at winning percentage, difficulty of the league, and expectations placed upon the coaches by their respective teams. He also reveals Opta's current rankings of the Top 10 soccer leagues in the world. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Happy New Year, soccer fans! With the new year comes new roster moves for Chicago Fire FC. They transfer homegrown defender Justin Reynolds to Sporting Kansas City and sign free agent goalkeeper Josh Cohen. Tune in as Nick breaks down the details of the transfers and gives his opinions on how this strengthens the Men in Red for the upcoming 2026 MLS season. These moves create some flexibility to roster Robin Lod and provide an improvement at the backgup goalkeeper position. Cohen also brings a wealth of experience - having started UEFA Champions League matches - and will push starter Chris Brady to keep improving. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back with Part 3 of his holiday roundup. In this part, he discussed the Chicago Fire's latest acquisition: free agent midfielder Robin Lod. While not a like-for-like replacement of Brian Gutierrez or famed international talent, Lod bring a toughness, winning pedigree, and consistent on-field performance that the Men in Red will surely benefit from. Lod had a distinguished career with Minnesota United, and his experience in MLS is another factor that benefits Chicago. Nick also looks at the transfers that have been occurring around the league, and rattles them off in lighting-round formt. He notices that DC United quietly is having a producting off-season, signing three starters from within MLS. He's also noticed an increasing trend of intraleague signings. The Fire could really take advantage of this with their next crop of academy players. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back with Part 2 of his Chicago Fire and Major League Soccer holiday roundup. Today, he discusses the rumored divisional realignment that could take place with the 2027-2028 MLS season. This alignment would see the departure from the current Eastern/Western Conferences and transition to six, geographic based divisions, specifically: Midwest: Chicago Fire, Minnesota United, St. Louis City, Sporting KC, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew. Pacific/Northwest: Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, San Jose Earthquakes, Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids. South/West: LA Galaxy, LAFC, San Diego FC, Austin FC, Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas East/Southeast: DC United, Nashville SC, Atlanta United, Orlando City, Inter Miami, Charlotte FC East/Northeast: Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, Toronto FC, CF Montreal, New England Revolution In the second half of the show, Nick previews the Coachella Valley Invitational tournment. This season, the Men in Red face LA Galaxy, Austin FC, and the Portland Timbers in their pre-season tournament. These cross-conference opponents provide a great test for the Fire as they look to build on a succesful 2025 season. Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show. Follow the Fire on SportSpyder. Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.