Chicago Fire FC (3-3-5, 14 points) defeated St. Louis CITY SC (6-4-1, 19 points) 1-0 at Soldier Field on Saturday afternoon in their first League match against their Midwest rival.
Featuring in the starting lineup for a third straight match across all competitions, Designated Player Xherdan Shaqiri tallied his first assist of the 2023 campaign, setting up defender Rafael Czichos’ game-winning goal in the 40th minute.
With the victory, Chicago remains unbeaten at home in 2023 (2-0-5), and is now tied on points (14) with teams ranked six through nine in the Eastern Conference, with more matches to be played later today. The result also marked the Fire’s second straight victory against St. Louis, with Chicago winning its head-to-head series (2-0-0) against the 2023 MLS expansion side.
The Fire were once again forced to make an early substitution when defender Carlos Terán left the field on a stretcher in the 36th minute. Czichos replaced the Colombian on the field, scoring the opening goal of the game just four minutes after coming into the match. St. Louis played the final 20 minutes with 10 men after defender John Nelson was shown a second yellow card.
Both teams started with an attacking mindset, with Chicago getting their first dangerous chance in the second minute of play. Shaqiri threaded the ball through two defenders for forward Kei Kamara, who deftly sent a backheel behind him into space for an incoming Federico Navarro. The midfielder took a shot that was deflected by a St. Louis defender before it could reach goalkeeper Roman Bürki.
In the 40th minute, Shaqiri and midfielder Brian Gutiérrez lined up to take a free kick on the left side of the field, with Shaqiri sending a cross to the top of the six-yard-box on the right side. Czichos raced into the space, stretching to get a foot on the ball. It looked like goalkeeper Roman Bürki was going to get a foot on the attempt, but the ball rolled past him and into the lower left corner to give the hosts a well-deserved lead going into the halftime break.
The second half started in much the same way, with Gutiérrez receiving a ball in the 47th minute that he sent into the box for Kamara. The forward brought it down, passing it back to the top of the box for Fabian Herbers, who fired a half volley that ricocheted off the top post.
Despite a push from the visitors to secure the equalizer late in the second half, the Fire would see out the rest of the match to secure its second shutout of the 2023 season.
NEXT MATCH: The Fire will travel to the Queen City to face Charlotte FC at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 17 at Bank of America Stadium. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV+, streamed in English on wlsam.com, and transmitted locally in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.
Social: Twitter - @chicagofire, @vamosfire (Hashtags: #CF97 #VamosFire) | Instagram - @chicagofire | Facebook
Notes:
- Goalkeeper Chris Brady recorded his second shutout of the season.
- Defender Rafael Cizchos scored his second goal of the season, and his fifth in a Chicago Fire shirt.
- Midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri recorded his first assist of the season and his 12th with the Fire across the last two seasons. His 12 assists are the most by a Fire player since the start of the 2022 MLS campaign.
- Midfielder and Young Designated Player Jairo Torres returned to the field for the first time since the team’s first game of the season, a 1-1 draw against NYCFC on March 4, in which he left the field in the first half with an injury.
- Seven changes were made to the lineup that faced Nashville SC in Matchday 11 of the MLS regular season and three changes were made to the XI that faced St. Louis CITY SC on Tuesday, May 9, in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
- Forward Kei Kamara led the attack, playing in the 401st MLS match of his career.
- Brian Gutiérrez started on the left wing, with Fabian Herbers taking charge of the right wing. Both players flanked the No. 10, Xherdan Shaqiri, who lined up in the middle of the pitch.
- Swiss midfielder Shaqiri wore the captain’s armband against St. Louis today, with Czichos starting the match on the bench as he recovers from an injury.
- Supporting the attacking midfielders were the Argentine duo of Federico Navarro and Gastón Giménez, who controlled the center of the park in the previous match against St. Louis on Tuesday night.
- Colombian defender Carlos Téran rejoined the starting XI, replacing defender Wyatt Omsberg on the backline that faced St. Louis earlier in the week. He lined up with Miguel Navarro, Mauricio Pineda and Arnaud Souquet
- Midfielder Maren Haile-Selassie (concussion protocol), midfielder Jonathan Dean (left leg) and midfielder Chris Mueller (hip) were unavailable for selection due to injury tonight. Mueller was a late scratch, acquiring the injury after the submission of the official player availability report.
- The Fire are unbeaten in their last 14 regular season home matches against Western Conference opponents (eight wins, five ties). Chicago hasn't lost a home match to a Western opponent in over four years, since a 4-2 defeat to Seattle in March 2019.
- In seven MLS matches at home this season, Chicago are unbeaten with two wins and five draws. The eight-match home unbeaten streak dates back to October 2022 against the New England Revolution.
Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC 1:0 St. Louis
Goals:
CHI - Czichos (2) (Shaqiri) (WATCH) 40’
Discipline:
STL - Perez (Yellow Card) 27’
STL - Nelson (Yellow Card) 43’
STL - Gioacchini (Yellow Card) 49’
CHI - Giménez (Yellow Card) 59’
CHI - Herbers (Yellow Card) 64’
STL - Nelson (Second Yellow, Ejection) 70’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Souquet, D Pineda, D Terán (Czichos, 34’), D M. Navarro, M F. Navarro, M Giménez, M Herbers (Koutsias, 72’), M Shaqiri (capt.), M Gutiérrez (Torres, 89’), F Kamara (Przybyłko, 72’)
Subs not used: GK Richey, D Burks, D Omsberg, D Aceves, F Rodríguez
St. Louis: GK Bürki, D Nerwinski (Stroud, 64’), D Bartlett (Yaro, 77’), D Hiebert, D Nelson, M Ostrák (Jensen, 64’), M Perez (Blom, 45’), M Löwen (Glover 77’), F Gioacchini, F Vassilev, F Pompeu
Subs not used: GK Lundt, D Watts, D Bell, M Jackson
Stats Summary: CHI / STL
Shots: 9 / 8
Shots on Goal: 6 / 2
Saves: 2 / 5
Passing Accuracy: 75.1% / 73.8%
Corners: 5 / 3
Fouls: 13 / 15
Offsides: 2 / 0
Possession: 51.3% / 48.7%
Attendance: 18,231
Referee: Filip Dujic
Assistant Referees: Kevin Klinger, Andrew Bigelow
Fourth Official: Jon Freemon
VAR: Kevin Stott
Asst. VAR: Rene Parra
Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Frank Klopas
On holding on to a late lead...
"We knew there was going to be a push in the game. And then, when you're not able to get that second goal, even though they had the red card and I think we had some really good moments maybe to put the game away and we didn't. I really felt that the guys, I think, handled the game very well. You know, I think there was a really good balance with the guys going forward. And then guys that are staying back and we knew the way they were going to play and push the game in the end.
Listen, for me, it was a great game, not only because we want but I think just the way the team played and the commitment of the group, how they fought and they left everything. That was incredible and obviously the fans helped so much – there was a great energy in the stadium. I think also they got more energized the way the team played. I think there were good moments we had that we moved the ball well. St. Louis is a very good team. Very good team. Very organized, not easy to break down. Very physical, very direct, but I'm extremely, extremely proud of the team because the way they played, they competed. This is the kind of team, I told them, that the fan base, the city, the way they played, can get behind and be excited about."
On defeating St. Louis twice in one week...
"No, I just think it was, like I said, I think that we were able to focus and work on a couple things in training. And I think that was a key in both phases in the game. I felt we got in trouble in the Open Cup and moments in the game here, where we turned the ball over and then they're very good team in transition. And a lot of times when both our pivots, Fede and Gaston, maybe left that the central area unoccupied. So we corrected some things there, we corrected some things with the ball.
But more than anything, man, it's like just the mentality to go out and compete and play together and have a great mentality and just leave everything on the field. So, you know, we wanted to be compact, we wanted to move together. So, all that stuff we did but besides the tactical stuff, there's something here in the heart and the passion that if you love what you do, you have to show it. And I think that's what these guys did: They played with passion, commitment, and they really represented that jersey that every Chicago, former Fire player, coaches, would have been proud of the way they were in the field today."
On the performance of Brian Gutierrez and Xherdan Shaqiri...
"Gutierrez and Shaqiri, I thought they were both excellent. Excellent. And you can see with Guti, there's nothing to say. I mean, the guy right now is at a different level and he can continue, he's going to continue to grow and take more responsibility upon himself. But today, he was incredible. Good with the ball, his work rate, key passes, ability to beat players, technical ability. He's got everything in my mind. And you can just see year by year, that I've seen him grow and mature even when he was on Fire Academy. You know, he's really playing like a man now.
Shaqiri is special. For me, I've always said that. And I believe that today he played like a DP, like he should play every game. But you can just see it doesn't matter, even with him as a DP, if you don't have games in your legs. You know, it's hard to really find his rhythm if you don't. You can see with game in and game out now that he's playing games, he's sharper, and he's even gonna get sharper. And you know, some of those moments where he gets in a final third, he's gonna be able to finish because he has that special quality. So, his work rate today, his numbers, were incredible. And I see him getting stronger with every game that he plays."
On the passion displayed by the team...
"Listen, myself, CJ and Zach being guys here for '98, going into the US Open Cup match. And then obviously having Jesse, Chris and Logan there, we made the players understand what was on the line. We want to remain the only team, as an expansion team, to do the double and the Open Cup. So, it was a big, big moment that players responded.
You know, it's not always easy playing a team twice. I mean, there's familiarity. But the guys were up for the game. I felt that coming in the stadium here and having a really good crowd and atmosphere, that always excites them. But there's a confidence within the team. We have a good team. We have good players. And the key is that, when we play in a collective way, everybody shines and that's the one message I've tried to get across. There will be flashes where individuality can take over – Guti has that, Shaqiri has that, we have a lot of guys. But if we can also play with the team together and fight as a team. And there will be mistakes, you know, it's about the next play. As my national team coach Bora Milutinović used to say, 'Klopy! Next play, next play!'
Anyway, I think you have to bring that out and I think I am like that as a person. I know CJ, Zach are all like that and we are like that because we love what we do. But more importantly is, we love the team and there isn't anything that we wouldn't do. We have really good people in this club, man. And, you know, it's unfortunate that we've taken the right strides to get there and it's not– yeah, winning championships, it's important and we have to get back to that level. But you want a team that's going to go on the field, especially here in the Midwest, in Chicago, and f–g compete and leave everything on the field. And that's what the fans want and I felt the players did that today."
On planning for a busy schedule...
"It's exactly what you said, it's just step by step. You know, this game is over. I think we have to evaluate how some guys recover and then it's on to the next game. As high as we are now, I'm always even-keeled and I told the team, we have a long way to go in order to reach our goals. This is a big step forward and we have to continue to grow. But it's always recovery and the recovery starts right after the game.
I told the guys we have a day off tomorrow. Mother's Day, enjoy it with their loved ones. I think that's important, to be away, because this is something we love but your family obviously is more important. But in there, we have a family and we spend sometimes more than our family. So, it's best taking it a step at a time. When we get back in, we evaluate how I think guys are and then we go from there and prepare for the next match."
On the chemistry between Gutierrez and Shaqiri...
"Look, I think you hit it right there, on the dot, at first: health. I think it's important if players are healthy. Shaq, a little bit. has been out. And so it's the inability now to prepare because the most important thing is that, when you have doubt as a player, I mean, the only way you can get rid of this doubt is by training. I think this is the best weapon to have. Because of injuries, I think maybe the inability to, you know, up to this point, for them to be on the field and in practice and training. That's one, but now you can just see that they are together.
I think there's ways because I like, it's just a different way, I like when Guti's out wide at times, I like when he's operating more centrally, into the half-channels and also with Shaq and then our ability now – like you saw today, there were moments where they were building with, they were pressing with two forwards. We had Gaston dropping between the center backs, and I wanted Shaq to come a little bit deeper, Guti come inside and then weakside winger inside and form a box and then really overload centrally, where we can play quick and switch the point of attack.
So yeah, there's ways but it's only through training. They're smart players. You can see at moments how easy it is for them to to connect and play together, they're in the same wavelength. So, the more time that they stay injury-free, the sharper they will be. And if that happens, I think you can see a big difference in his team."
Chicago Fire FC Midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri
On today’s victory over St. Louis…
“It’s a very good feeling, I think. Obviously, we had two games. We played two times against St. Louis this week. Yeah. You want to do it again. And we did it. So yeah, it was a good performance from the team. Obviously, we can do better because I think we should score more, not only one goal today, because after the red card, we created more and we should do better in the end of the 16 yard box of the other team. So we have to play the last pass better but in the end, a fully deserved win for us.”
On Frank Klopas’s influence on the team…
“I think everybody knows how important Frank is fitting for this club? And how good his knowledge is about football and I think this is a big win for the Club. And you can see (his effect on) the team straight away. How he explains things to the team and the message, how we want to play, and we tried to put it straight away on the pitch. And yeah, we did very well in the last two games.”
On if he sees himself playing in the midfield with Brian Gutierrez more…
“I hope so, I'm pretty sure yeah, as you can see that we are good footballers, we can combine very well. And yeah, we have to put this every weekend and yeah, sometimes it doesn't go well. But we know the quality we have and we have to be confident to play more with the ball than we did in the past. So you saw it already today, that we are a bit more confident already with the ball and try to play more football.
On how today’s match provides confidence for the group…
“I think the confidence is not only for me, but for the whole team. I think it's important that I'm trying to help the team with my performances. I try to be as fit as possible and I'm feeling better now. And yeah, but I still can improve and I think I'm not the person I was still, but I'm in a good way.”
On the midweek matchup against Charlotte…
“I think it’s important to stay consistent, especially in football, one of the most important things to stay consistent and not only to win only one game. Let’s see what happens, no, we want to change that we want to be a team and we want to be more consistent so we can win as much as possible. So this is important to keep our heads up and try to keep going and to close the games, and go to the next one. So we have a lot of games to play and I'm looking forward to it. You try to win as much as possible.”
On the intensity between today’s match and Tuesday’s match…
“Obviously the Open Cup and the league is always a bit different. Some (of their) players didn't play in the Open Cup but we knew how we want to play and yeah, we did a very good analysis on St. Louis. And I think the team did very well, how they put the shift on the pitch and how we played today so it was an important win. We had also a clean sheet, it was very important and good. It also gives a good feeling and good confidence to our goalkeeper, our defenders that you can go with a lot of confidence to the next game.”
Chicago Fire FC Midfielder Brian Gutiérrez
On the victory at home and relationship with Shaqiri…
“It shows on the field the great connection we have together and it ultimately reflects on the result, I look forward to playing more alongside him and see how things work out.”
On the fan support for the first home victory…
“It was our first home victory and it comes to show that the fans always show up through thick and thin. We have to give it our all like we did today as we finally get the three points at home.”
On playing under Frank Klopas…
“He’s a legend of this Club, it’s an honor to play with him. He’s a really passionate guy, really outspoken guy, he gives us a lot of energy and confidence in our game.”
On playing on the wing the past two games…
“I’m trying to adapt to it. That position is harder for me to play and I’m trying to adapt as much as possible and help the team out as much as possible and give it my all.”
On the rivalry brewing between St. Louis…
“It’s a derby, obviously, and it feels like a rivalry. I’m just thankful we got these six points this week”
On the club's success and making the city proud…
“It’s honestly awesome seeing the big crowd and seeing the fans today get after us after every play. It’s really awesome and I enjoy it a lot.”
Chicago Fire Forward Kei Kamara
On breaking the losing streak…
“It's a great atmosphere man. Seriously, thanks a lot to the fans that came out because playing an early game I kind of felt weird about it, it's been a while since we played an early game like this. But people showed up and right away when you saw that, that just brought the energy was different, it was good.”
On what the dynamic is like between veterans and youngsters on the team…
“Good. Keeping everybody on their feet on their toes and making sure that they're working because I know I’m working, I'm not taking days off I'm not taking time off. And it doesn't matter what happened, changes that happen but you got to know we're all here every day, we want to achieve the same thing so we can't stop working. So the dynamic is actually really good. There's respect from the younger guys and you know for, us, myself, when you respect them and show them that you're working they won’t stop working.”
On his energy on the attacking front of the pitch translating to more goals….
“I think we’ve scored more goals than the team did last year at this point so I think it's translated into goals. Yes, we're going to click. It's going to happen, we want it to happen more. More connections so more players can get on the scoring sheet. But it's going to happen, I need players like Miguel (Navarro) to have his crosses better. Miguel can cross the ball a little bit better and we’ll score some more goals. But the connection is there. I love connecting with (Brian) Gutiérrez. Seriously, this kid is someone special and the way he's playing, we got to build his confidence, keep him going, he's definitely playing in the final balls for us.”
On how important it is to get results on the road in the upcoming games…
“That's big. I mean, this is MLS and right now the weather's changing, and it's gonna get a little bit warmer. A lot of the guys that are not used to it, obviously have to get used to that. And the road games are big. But we've always said if we can take care of our home games, and we can steal some points on the road in some different places, it’s going to be key for us. So we're looking forward for that, too.”