Chicago Fire will begin in their final seven-match stretch of the MLS regular season just outside of the Eastern Conference postseason spots this weekend when they host the New England Revolution in Bridgeview.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Fire (11-10-6, 39 points) are looking to rebound after their\u00a04-0 loss<\/a>\u00a0at the Philadelphia Union on August 23, which could\u2019ve been even more lopsided, and had an extra week to do so thanks to Inter Miami\u2019s run in the Leagues Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n The club needs to respond this weekend against a New England side that they will go against twice in this final stretch, and Chicago likely needs to get six points from those two contests if they want to compete in the postseason for the first time since 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n The extra week off has provided ample time for the Fire to recover, and starting left back Andrew Gutman told reporters that the intensity has been raised during training sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe last two weeks we\u2019ve been training hard, improving on things that happened in the Philly game that we don\u2019t want to happen again,\u201d Gutman said on Thursday. \u201cAnd then for us, it\u2019s just kind of moving on from it. We\u2019re still in a good position to make the playoffs, so it\u2019s a seven-game sprint for us. We just got to get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n Chicago have been one of the best scoring sides in Major League Soccer with a fifth-best 50 goals scored but the defending has lagged behind while conceding 48 goals (joint eighth-worst in MLS) this season. The Fire\u2019s locker room is more than aware of their shortcomings on the defensive side of the pitch, according to Gutman.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just something we need to get better at. Every team takes risks going forward, and then it\u2019s just about how you\u2019re able to defend when you\u2019re going forward or even when we don\u2019t have the ball, our defensive shape, and our mid or low block.\u00a0<\/p>\n More Sports News<\/p>\n \t .wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla), \t\tsvg { \u201cI think it\u2019s just a combination of everything that we just have to focus more on it and defend better as a team. There are some games where we defend really well and there are some games where we don\u2019t defend well. I think we just need to get to a point where we are consistently doing well defensively throughout 90 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Gutman, who turns 29 in October, hasn\u2019t had much competition at the Fire\u2019s left back spot in 2025 with Chase Gasper\u2019s extended return from injury. While Jonathan Dean has done an admirable job filling in as a right-footed outside back on the left side, Chicago made the decision to sign left back<\/a> Viktor Radojevi\u0107.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Serbian left back provides a younger option at the position but Gutman says he won\u2019t let the competition between the two players get in the way of the veteran helping him improve.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year was a little bit unusual, right? Normally, throughout the season, there are always at least two people in that position, so you\u2019re always competing with someone.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, it\u2019s something that I always want to be out on the field. I always want to help contribute to the team. But at the same time, I believe that the staff makes good signings to make the team better.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo when he comes in with us, we\u2019ll see how he is and everything. If I can help him improve, then I definitely will.\u201d<\/p>\n From the rest of my notebook:<\/p>\n Gregg Berhalter\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The Fire\u2019s head coach and director of football echoed his starting left back\u2019s sentiment about the club\u2019s response to that ill-fated evening in Chester, Pennsylvania, two weeks ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a good couple weeks of training,\u201d Berhalter said during his weekly media availability. \u201cThe key was [to[ raise the intensity from the Philly game in training sessions and apply ourselves. I think the group did that really well. I look at the workloads we\u2019ve had in the last two weeks and it\u2019s been really good. Guys have been working hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, seven games left in the season. We want to qualify for the playoffs so we know this is a big game. [New England head coach] Caleb [Porter] has been there before. He gets his teams ready to play. They have a good attacking group in their team, like to get their fullbacks forward. It will be a good test for us.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chicago Fire will be going against long-time USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner on Saturday evening on Saturday evening and Berhalter is preparing for a difficult test in front of goal.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt, at his best, is difficult to beat. He comes up with big saves time and time again, covers a lot of the goal, and can intimidate the strikers that shoot against him. I know him really well. Quality goalkeeper. It\u2019s really nice to see him getting regular football again. He\u2019s definitely helped New England.\u201d<\/p>\n Jonathan Dean<\/strong><\/p>\n Leonardo Barroso is away on international duty with Portugal\u2019s U21s<\/a>, leaving Jonathan Dean as the de facto starting right back for Saturday\u2019s contest against New England.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dean has once again proven to be a reliable piece for the Fire at both right and left back in 2025, covering on the left for the lack of depth that Andrew Gutman alluded to above in his third season with the club.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Fire\u2019s do-it-all outside back has appeared in 24 matches in all competitions in 2025, lifting his total to 73 appearances since he signed with Chicago ahead of the 2023 MLS season and has impressed the new boss with his performances throughout the campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt has to do with his mindset and his competitiveness,\u201d Berhalter said. \u201cHe\u2019s a competitor. He showed us from day one in preseason that he was here to compete for minutes. He\u2019s done a great job in that. It\u2019s not a surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a guy we would want to keep around because of his veteran presence, but also because of his worth ethic and what he brings each and every day to training. We are confident when he is in the field, and it\u2019s good he gets games like this to maintain his fitness and be able to continue to help the group.\u201d<\/p>\n Dean is a free agent after the 2025 MLS season and it sounds like he could be playing his way into a new contract with the Chicago Fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fire II<\/strong><\/p>\n Chicago Fire II, Chicago\u2019s MLS Next Pro side, have loaned winger Claudio Cassano to FC Lugano* in Switzerland\u2019s Super League through the 2026 MLS season, per Alex Calabrese<\/a>, which On Tap Sports Net can confirm.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cassano, 22, joined Chicago Fire II<\/a> in the winter from Citadella in Italy\u2019s second tier, Serie B, after spending the last two seasons there following his departure from AS Roma\u2019s youth system. He was rumored to be moving to Avellino in Serie B earlier in the summer but that deal fell through.\u00a0<\/p>\n The winger has been a force for Fire II in MLS Next Pro and it quickly became clear that his talent level was above that of MLS\u2019s development league. Cassano has ten goals and ten assists in 21 MLS Next Pro matches (all starts), topping the league\u2019s goal contribution list with over a month left in the regular season.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Chicago Fire organization still believes in Cassano\u2019s talent but think that he has done all he can in MLS Next Pro and the Fire don\u2019t have an international roster spot to use that would allow the winger to compete in Major League Soccer.\u00a0<\/p>\n It wouldn\u2019t be surprising if Chicago brings Cassano back for the 2026 MLS preseason in hopes that he can earn a first-team contract after his time with a FC Lugano side that needs some help amidst a slow start to the Swiss Super League season.\u00a0<\/p>\n *Reminder: FC Lugano are also owned by Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chicago Fire II will be off this weekend before hosting FC Cincinnati 2 for a matinee kickoff on September 10 in Bridgeview as they look to build on their shootout win<\/a> over New England Revolution II.<\/p>\n What\u2019s On Tap Next?<\/p>\n The Fire will host the New England Revolution at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview on September 6. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+<\/p>\n Follow\u00a0@soccer_ontap<\/a>\u00a0on X for more\u00a0Chicago Fire news<\/a>\u00a0and updates!<\/strong><\/p>\n
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