Brian Gutiérrez's Top 5 Chicago Fire Moments

The Brian Gutiérrez era in Chicago is over as he joins Chivas de Guadalajara in a $5 million swap. The Chicago native has spent his entire career with the Fire, rising through all the youth ranks before signing a homegrown contract in 2020 and becoming a first team regular in 2021.

Here are his top five moments in a Chicago Fire shirt as he prepares for his next chapter in Jalisco.

1. Breakout Game in Cincinnati

Typically, a player's first MLS goal would be the first entry on such a list. But for Gutiérrez, his first was so forgettable – a 95th-minute consolation in a 2-1 road loss in San Jose in July 2022 – that it just misses out. Instead, his true breakout game a few months later takes the cake here.

With the Fire already eliminated from playoff contention, they went to Cincinnati hoping to delay what FCC thought would be their first-ever playoff berth. They did so, cruising to a 3-0 lead early in the second half with Guti directly involved in all three goals. It was the first time the then-19-year-old completely took over a game all by himself, providing two truly ridiculous assists for Jhon Durán and adding a wonderful goal of his own in between.

An honorable mention from 2022 also goes to Gutiérrez's world-class backheel assist for Durán against Toronto on July 13th – yet another indication of the excellent partnership those two 2003-born talents had in Chicago.

2. Opening Day Banger in Philadelphia

One of the best and most underrated phenomena in Major League Soccer is the way in which Philadelphia's Subaru Park goes from a roaring cauldron to complete and total silence at the blink of an eye when the opposition scores. It's something you have to see (and hear) to believe.

Gutiérrez did just that on February 24th, 2024, scoring one of the best goals of the entire MLS season with a rocket into the left corner to open the scoring. It was the perfect way to start what would turn out to be a pretty forgettable season for the rest of the team, but gave hope to Fire fans on opening day as Frank Klopas' team battled to a 2-2 draw against the Union. In the same game, Gutiérrez got the assist on Fabian Herbers' goal.

Across the last two seasons, Guti has made a habit of being a star on the opening day of the MLS season. He scored a brace in Columbus in 2025, meaning he has four goal contributions in his last two opening day starts. Keep an eye on him in Chivas' Clausura opener next month.

3. Double-Doink to Break the Winless Streak

Of Gutiérrez's 21 goals for the Fire, just seven came at Soldier Field. His first – the opening goal in a 3-0 thumping of Montréal in 2023 – was special in its own right, but the most memorable and impactful arguably was his second half gamewinner against the L.A. Galaxy on July 1st, 2024.

The Fire entered that game riding a historically bad nine-game winless run and were facing a Galaxy team that would eventually go on to win MLS Cup. Riqui Puig gave the visitors an early lead before Hugo Cuypers tied it with a penalty. Then, in the 61st minute, Gutiérrez dripped a drilled shot from more than 25 yards off of both posts and then past the goalkeeper to give the Fire a 2-1 lead. It held up as the game-winner, marking the true beginning of the post-Xherdan Shaqiri era (as he had played what would prove to be his final game in MLS about a week earlier).

In this category, Gutiérrez has contributed several other exciting winning goals, including the winner off the bench against Houston in April 2024 and the winner against FC Cincinnati in July 2024. Still, the best honorable mention was his 88th minute deciding goal against St. Louis City at Bridgeview in August 2025.

4. The Cherry on Top in Fort Lauderdale

It seemed like a date with destiny when the Fire booked their return to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017. They did so in the most insane way possible, going to Miami and sticking five goals past Lionel Messi and all his friends. Gutiérrez didn't even start the game, but still had a huge role to play.

First, he popped up with the secondary assist on Justin Reynolds' shock 80th minute goal, the strike that turned out to be the winning goal. Moments after that, though, Guti added the Fire's best goal of 2025, ripping a crazy shot from long range to put the game beyond all doubt and secure the playoff ticket for sure. It also ended Oscar Ustari's tenure as Miami's #1 goalkeeper, with Rocco Ríos Novo getting the job after that and now guiding them to MLS Cup.

Though it didn't change the outcome, Guti's goal against Miami – in front of his childhood idol, Messi, and all of Miami's other starpower – was possibly the coolest individual moment of his career and something he'll one day tell his grandchildren about.

5. The First Homegrown Playoff Goal

Though Gutiérrez was always certainly going to be remembered as an icon among Fire homegrown players, he solidified his place in the history books by becoming the club's first-ever homegrown player to score a playoff goal. The club's first postseason game since 2017, played just down the road from where he was born, was the perfect stage, and one the 22-year-old simply had to capitalize on.

He did so, scoring the opening goal in what turned out to be an unforgettable 3-1 win over Orlando City in the MLS Wild Card game. Guti got on the end of the Jonathan Dean cross, completely unmarked in the six-yard box, and knocked the ball past Pedro Gallese to give his team a 1-0 lead. Thereafter, he jumped into the crowd behind the goal, celebrating with the fans he was once a part of.

It was a special moment on a memorable night that Fire fans will never forget. It is also incredibly fitting that Guti celebrated his final Fire goal in the way he did, as he had grown up attending games in Bridgeview as a fan since he was a young child. As he moves on to his other "boyhood team," he will always be able to look back at this unique memory and smile.