Feed the Fire: A Chicago Fire Podcast

Hey, soccer fans! With all the hand-wringing and clutching of pearls around the Chicago Fire's on-field performances, we've missed some news happening around the club. Let Nick get you caught up with the latest new: Jack Elliott's contract extention and the impact on the roster or centerbacks. Will he continue to be the starter and captain alongside Andreas Hanche-Olsen, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, and Noah Allen? How does the depth at centerback look with Sam Rogers, Mauricio Pineda, and Christopher Cupps contract situations? Nick breaks it all down for you. We also look at the progress on the Chicago Fire's new stadium, McDonald's Park. Recent updates from the club and from other news outlets like Crain's discuss the status of the stadium construction, the team's digital infrastructure partner Boldyn Networks, ticket availability, and when is the anticipated opening. Nick also provides an update on the Men in Red called up to international duty: Robert Lewandowski to Poland, Robin Lod to Finland, Puso Dithejane to South Africa, Anzor Mekvabishvili to Georgia, Noah Allen to Greece Under-21s, and our very own homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady to the USMNT. CFII players in MLS Next Pro also received call-ups, with Vitaliy Hlyut going to Ukraine's Under-19s and Jason Nemo, Jr. and Christopher Morales going to the USMNT Under-17s. Nick then takes a look up and down the Major League Soccer standings, noting which clubs have a home playoff match secure, which are fighting to move up the table, and which are just fighting for any sort of playoff chances. To close out the show, we note a number of transfers that could impact the Eastern Conference and MLS Cup playoff picture. 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! Can the Chicago Fire come back from Nashville without it looking like the season is on the brink of collapse? The Music City has been a house of horrors for the Men in Red over the years, and this season was no different. The Fire didn't just lose 3-0, they looked completely out of the game from the first minute. Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar, Brian Schwake, Cristian Espinoza, and their Supporters Shield leading squad - coached by former Gregg Berhalter USMNT assistant BJ Callaghan - showed Chicago why they are the best team in Major League Soccer (MLS). But this just wasn't a single bad performance. It was the culmination of a month-long drop in performance and slide down the standings for the Chicago Fire. In this episode, Nick goes into great detail on the factors contributing to the Fire's late season demise. From things out of their control (schedule, injuries, officiating, etc.) to a lackluster offense, from a void in midfield to an exhausted defense, combined with head-scratching coaching and roster decisions, Nick examines it all and tries to find a way to fix it before it's took late. 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 are in free fall. They're winless in five matches, have dropped to 5th in the Eastern Conference, and are in danger of falling further if they don't identify and solve their problems. Nick identifies the negative trends on offense, defense, tactics, and signings and tries to find a way to turn the team around. The offense has been reconfigure to center around super-star striker Robert Lewandowski, and the Polish goal sccoring great has been finding the back of the net at almost the same rate as former Golden Boot leader Hugo Cuypers. That leaves some offensive efficiency to be desired out of Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, Puso Dithejane, and Johan Gomez, while Maren Haile-Selassie and Robin Lod continue to pitch in with goal contributions. On defense, the club needs to keep their shape, get new signing Andreas Hanche-Olsen on the pitch, get Mbekezeli Mbokazi back from injury, and help Noah Allen get more comfortable as he plays both center back and left back. The Men in Red also need to figure out how to control the midfield while waiting on the return of Andre Franco and the arrival of Georgian international Anzor Mekvabishvili. There's no time to lose as the Fire face Nashville SC, the Vancouver Whitecaps, and other Major League Soccer opponents in the coming weeks. 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 offense treated fans to four goals against Toronto FC over the weekend. Unfortunately, the defense treated us to four goals allowed as the Men in Red split points with their neighbor to the north. Nick breaks down each of the defensive failings that led to goals and how the Fire's defensive issues could cost them a top spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Nick also looks ahead to the marquee matchup between Chicago and Inter Miami, being billed as Lewandowski vs. Messi by many media outlets (including the clubs and MLS itself). There's so much more to the game than those two players, as Nick points out. Stay tuned and enjoy the show! 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! Major League Soccer's summer transfer window has officially closed, and the Chicago Fire made eight moves on deadline day. They brought four new players in and moved four players out, not counting the prior loan of defender Christopher Cupps to Greenock Morton. Did the club meet their roster needs of improved midfield, attacking depth, and support on the backline? Nick breaks it all down, including how the transfers address those needs, concerns on the roster status, and how the revamped team will look on the pitch. Players In: Johan Gomez, Andreas Hanche-Olsen, Anzor Mekvabishvili, Noah Allen Players Out: Viktor Radojevic, Jason Shokalook, Dylan Borso, Joel Waterman Also, congrats to winger Philip Zinckernagel and the club for renegotiating his contract and making him a Designated Player! It's a well-deserved and well-earned contract for Zinck, who has been a star for both the Men in Red and the league. 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.