The last time the Chicago Fire played a competitive match, they walked out of Gillette Stadium with their first point of the 2020 Major League Soccer season.
That 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution in Foxborough, Mass., was four months ago. And while the first two weeks of the season count in the standings, the MLS Is Back Tournament offers something of a fresh start for the Fire — and a chance to re-reintroduce themselves starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday against the Seattle Sounders.
Here’s a quick refresher on what you might have missed since the Fire last played March 7.
What is the MLS Is Back Tournament?
It isn’t the most creative name, but the MLS Is Back Tournament is a World Cup-style tournament with teams drawn into groups before a series of knockout matches. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-place finishers advance.
The tournament, held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex outside Orlando, Fla., initially called for the league’s 26 teams to face off in a 56-game tournament. But outbreaks of COVID-19 on FC Dallas and Nashville SC caused both teams to withdraw, which necessitated the Fire’s move from Group A to Group B to have a balanced competition of four teams in six groups. The reshuffling means the Fire will play three different opponents than originally scheduled.
Fire coach Raphael Wicky said the shift isn’t “ideal,” but he added players have taken it in stride.
“Are we happy about every single thing with changing the group and now we have to prepare differently?,” Wicky said Friday during a conference call. “No, but it doesn’t make sense to lose too much energy on that. Again, we are going to be ready. We are ready. They want to play. That’s why we are here.”
All teams will play three group-stage matches that count toward standings in the regular season, which MLS said it intends to resume after the tournament with teams playing in their home stadiums. Knockout-round matches do not count in the table, but prize money is available and the tournament winner will receive a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.
When do the Fire play?
The Fire have three group-stage matches:
Tuesday vs. Seattle Sounders, 8 a.m. (ESPN)
Sunday vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7 p.m. (FS1, TUDN)
July 23 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 8 a.m. (ESPN)
The knockout stage begins July 25 with the final set for Aug. 11.
Where did the Fire leave off before MLS halted play because of COVID-19?
Nearly everything about the Fire changed going into the season: a new home stadium, a tweaked name (Chicago Fire FC), a new crest, new primary colors, a front-office overhaul spearheaded by new sporting director Georg Heitz, a new coaching staff, an almost totally rebuilt roster, new jerseys, a new TV deal and a new broadcast team.
The Fire went 0-1-1 in their first two matches, both on the road: a 2-1 loss to the Sounders in the season opener March 1 and a 1-1 draw with the Revolution on March 7.
The Fire took the lead against the Sounders through designated player Robert Beric — one of several new additions — but lost when Jordan Morris completed a brace with a stoppage-time winner.
Against the Revolution, coincidentally the first match of the Fire’s partnership with WGN-9, the Fire came from behind to pick up their first point of the season through Jonathan Bornstein.
Playing the defending champion Sounders again is a slight advantage for the Fire: Wicky said the coaching staff can use its previous analysis as a base to prepare, and defender Francisco Calvo said Friday the team can lean on the previous meeting.
“Unlucky we lost almost in the last minute, but (we) know how to play them,” he said. “We are not afraid of anybody in this tournament or in this league.”
MLS postponed its season March 12, and the Fire didn’t return to full-team training until June 15. They were able to squeeze in a rain-shortened, closed-door friendly against Minnesota United last week after arriving in Orlando.
Unlike the start of the season, when a handful of players was unavailable because of visa issues, the Fire have their full squad largely available with a few notable exceptions: Midfielder Jeremiah Gutjahr (knee) is out for four months, while defender Johan Kappelhof (quad) and midfielder Micheal Azira (eye) did not travel to Orlando but could rejoin the team. They would be subject to quarantine before fully joining the team, per MLS protocol.
Kappelhof’s absence is a loss for the Fire, who will need to find a complementary pairing for Calvo in central defense. But having additions such as designated player Ignacio Aliseda, Luka Stojanovic and Boris Sekulic available is a luxury Wicky didn’t have at the start of the season.
Will the Fire play at Soldier Field this season?
The Fire’s long-awaited return to Soldier Field — originally scheduled for March 21 against Atlanta United — was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
MLS said it plans to return to home markets without fans after the tournament, but the COVID-19 surge in many states could force MLS to revisit that plan.
If regular-season play resumes, the Fire would play at Soldier Field but only against Eastern Conference opponents, meaning no visits from LAFC coach Bob Bradley or LA Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez this season.
Are the Fire going to ditch their new crest?
The Fire unveiled a new crest as part of their rebrand earlier this year, ditching the Florian cross logo for an oval with what team marketing called the “Fire Crown” to represent Chicago’s transformation from the Great Fire of 1871.
Reaction from some diehards was negative — so much so that team owner Joe Mansueto told the Tribune in January the Fire would consider revisiting the new crest.
“We want a great badge for a great club,” Mansueto said at the time. “If it’s not working for people, we’ll fix it. As a practical matter, we can’t do anything in the short term given the long lead times on uniforms and merchandise, so let’s go through the season and let fans experience it in context. And we’ll take feedback along the way from all different constituencies.
“So if you’re a fan, you’ve got views, let us know. We’re still open to hearing people’s views. We’ll get it right. Either this will grow on people and they’ll come to love it, or we will fix it.”
Whether the Fire follow through remains to be seen, especially considering the altered landscape caused by the coronavirus shutdown.
