Chicago Fire vs. Fortaleza: Everything you need to know
The Chicago Fire will take the field under Head Coach Gregg Berhalter for the first time Sunday, facing Brazilian club Fortaleza E.C. in a friendly match outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Though the team lines up for the exhibition won't closely resemble the one that will start against Columbus on MLS opening day, it will be a first glimpse of actual game-action under Berhalter.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's friendly.
New Faces
While the Fire have officially completed eight additions to the first team – David Poreba, Omari Glasgow, Jack Elliott, Dylan Borso, Dean Boltz, Philip Zinckernagel, Sam Rogers, and Leonardo Barroso – several of those will not be available against Fortaleza for different reasons. For one, both Zinckernagel and Barosso are still awaiting U.S. visas, while Borso has been recovering from a minor injury sustained after the end of the NCAA season. The other five should be available for debuts, with three already being U.S. citizens.
Separately, numerous other Fire players won't be available for selection. Brian Gutiérrez and Sergio Oregel are just a few miles away at the USMNT/USYNT camps in Fort Lauderdale, with the former making his senior national team debut today against Venezuela. Winger Maren Haile-Selassie has also missed time in preseason due to injury.
Due to the high number of unavailable first team players and a still-yet-incomplete senior roster, several second team players have joined the team in Florida. Academy stars Chris Cupps and Vitaliy Hlyut were both invited for their first official first team involvements, in addition to goalkeeper Patrick Los, who was brought to preseason for the second straight year. Defender Diego Konincks and midfielder Harold Osorio were also invited to camp after strong MLS Next Pro seasons in 2024.
Finally, new Fire II signing Sam Williams is in camp and available for action after joining the club last week. The highly-rated midfielder out of the University of North Carolina was a top target for Fire II, and could be a future first teamer if the scouts are to be believed. Williams should get some minutes against Fortaleza, especially given the lack of other available midfielders.
Point to Prove
A handful of first teamers come into camp with a major point to prove. For one, with the signing of Barroso, the Fire now have four first team right backs, so 32-year-old Arnaud Souquet needs a truly sensational preseason to stay in the team's plans. The Frenchman admitted that the Fire had tried to force him out at this stage last season, and once again, he must prove himself, but with MLS now handing teams two contract buyouts, he may not be so fortunate this time.
Chris Mueller should start against Fortaleza almost by default, given who is available for selection. The winger faces an uphill battle to win substantial minutes this season with the addition of Philip Zinckernagel and the looming arrival of DP left winger Jonathan Bamba; he is now fourth in the winger depth chart at best, sitting behind Haile-Selassie and likely facing competition from Glasgow and Borso too.
The team's midfielders, particularly Fede Navarro, also have an added incentive to perform; the team remains in the market for one to two central players. Barring success in the club's shock pursuit of superstar Brazilian winger Neymar Jr., the club's third and final DP slot will most likely be filled by a box-to-box midfielder to partner Kellyn Acosta.
With Mauricio Pineda poised to also play in midfield during preseason, it currently seems like a two-horse race to start at center back based on the current roster; Jack Elliott is already written into the starting XI in Sharpie, but new signing Sam Rogers will compete with Carlos Terán to partner him. The Fire could yet add a fourth center back from the transfer market. However, 16-year-old Cupps, in particular, has a chance to prove himself to the first team coaches. He is yet to be offered a pro contract, but an exceptional preseason could force the Fire's hand when it comes to their top defensive talent in years.
Tactical Preview
Gregg Berhalter has only had five days of training with his team, but this friendly will provide, if not the slightest, insight into how the team will look in 2025. Formation-wise, it will be interesting to see if the midfield lines up as part of a 4-2-3-1 (double pivot) system, or a 4-3-3 (single pivot) approach. Those two orientations were Berhalter's preferred shapes throughout his USMNT tenure, and he almost exclusively used them, barring truly extenuating circumstances.
It also remains to be seen what version of Fortaleza the Fire will face off against. The exciting Brazilian outfit – who finished 4th place in Serie A last season – lost 2-1 against UPSL side Miami United FC today, albeit with a heavily rotated team. It's a safe bet to assume that they'll look considerably stronger against the Fire and won't necessarily resemble a team that lost to an American fourth-tier amateur team within the last 24 hours.
Ultimately, preseason is a terrible indicator of success during the season, and that is even more extreme with the opening game of preseason. However, the underlying principles should begin to take shape as soon as this week, even if several potential starters are missing.
How to Watch
Unlike in years past, this game will be accessible for fans to watch. In the United States, it will be broadcast on ESPN+; in Latin America, it will be available on Disney+. The match will be held at Beyond Bancard Field in Davie, Florida, the home of Nova Southeastern University, just outside Fort Lauderdale, and will kick off at 11:00 a.m. Central Time.
Read More:
https://meninred97.com/offseason-a-work-in-progress-says-berhalter/
https://meninred97.com/sources-chicago-fire-neymar-reps-met-in-london/
https://meninred97.com/pochettino-berhalter-brought-usmnt-to-a-high-level/
