For those who have actually been able to follow Ted Lasso’s amnesiatic advice to “be a goldfish,” sorry to be the bearer of bad news but: When two teams met on April , the Fire lost 7-2, the first time in team history that the team had conceded that many goals in any competition.

The loss added to a tough stretch for the Fire. After a promising start in March, a tough last-minute draw at home followed by three road wins, the team had failed to win since. The dynamic offense that had powered the team to those early victories looked to be fading, and the team was still committing the kind of simple defensive errors that have plagued the team for years. Would that be the tale of the 2025 Chicago Fire?

Instead, the loss seemed to be a galvanizing moment for the Fire. In their next match, they held Orlando City to a scoreless draw despite playing down a man for the bulk of the game. In the seven games across all competitions after that, the Fire have won six and lost just one (in another game where the team went down a man early).

They finished their lengthy road trip with an exclamation point last week, scoring seven goals for the second time in team history as they dispatched D.C. United 7-1 – the margin of victory exceeding the margin of defeat against Nashville.

The team now seems like they’re in a much better place than they were on that cool night in Nashville at the end of April. “I think the team we are now compared to a couple months ago is completely different,” Andrew Gutman told reporters on Thursday, later adding “Every single day, we're understanding what the coaches want us to do on the system they want to play, and you know, it's one of those systems that, like, it's not overnight… There's going to be bumps. There's going to be highs and lows, and I think now we're starting to get into a place where we have more highs than lows.”

The team has a chance to prove it now, against Nashville, an opponent also having a resurgence who handed the team their worst defeat of the season. The game closes out the first half of the schedule for the Chicago Fire, and battling to a result would show the progress the team has made.

Doubleheader a Unique Opportunity

For the second time since returning to Soldier Field, the Chicago Fire are playing a double header with the Chicago Stars of NWSL.

Unlike the previous edition, the Stars are playing first with a 4:00 PM kickoff. Coming off the heels of the announcement that the Fire intend to build a new, $650 million soccer stadium in downtown Chicago, this opportunity which gives fans a chance to experience both of the city’s professional sides is one way that both can help grow the game.

Asked if the Fire could share a home on a more permanent basis with the new stadium, Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter answered, “You know, I don't know, I don't know much about that.” Multiple sources familiar with the team’s plans have said that although the then-Red Stars participated in some preliminary discussions, the Fire’s vision for their new home at The 78 differed enough from the women’s team’s aspirations for a new stadium that their involvement went no further. Still, Berhalter said, Saturday’s doubleheader “gives soccer fans in general an opportunity to see both a women's professional game in a men's professional game. And it's exciting. You know, I hope a lot of fans come out and see the games.”

That sentiment was echoed by Gutman, who zeroed in on the importance of exposing young fans to the women’s professional game, saying “a point that I feel like maybe goes under the rug a little bit is, us as role models for men's professional soccer is one thing. But then to have a women's professional team, I think that creates a whole different type of role models for younger girls in the younger generation. And then to be able to collaborate [with] that and see both the men and women play on the same day is an amazing experience for all the young kids in Chicago.”

Series History

All time: 4W-4D-6LLast match: Don’t ask.Last home match: October 19, 2024: Chicago 0-3 Nashville at Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.

What to Expect

Nashville SC

Like the Fire, Nashville also is dealing with absences due to MLS’s decision to play while the CONCACAF Gold Cup is ongoing. Center back Walker Zimmerman, one of the best in his position in the league, will be with the U.S. Men’s National Team, while winger Jacob Shaffelburg will be with the Canadian Men’s National Team. Both losses will be keenly felt by Nashville in this one.

Ben Wright, from SixOneFive Soccer, speaking to us on The Bonfire podcast as we previewed the match, noted that the team elected to play a lot of direct football against the Fire last time, and Shaffelberg’s speed and ability to get runs in behind – particularly at Gutman’s expense, coming down the Fire’s left flank, ended up contributing significantly to a lot of Nashville’s offensive output. Jonathan Pérez, likely to be deputized in the same spot, can run, but lacks the Canadian’s explosive speed, changing the tenor of the game.

Expect Berhalter and company to be prepared, as the team, he says, has looked at what cost the Fire so dearly during their last meeting, “but I think they’ve done some different things since then and we have to be prepared for a lot but a lot of it depends, in those particular instances, a lot of it depended on, A) the pressure on the ball, and B), the height of the back line, and the timing of when they're dropping. So that's something we just have to get right. If there's no pressure on the ball, we have to drop quicker, because we know they're going to make runs.”

Chicago Fire

A key question for the Fire is who will be prepared to meet those runs. Berhalter confirmed that center-back Christopher Cupps will be out for this match, and a while after, having suffered a fracture with the U.S. Youth National Team. Sam Rogers has been dealing with an injury, and although he’ll likely be available, he may be on restricted minutes – in the last match, he came on to relieve perennial starter Jack Elliott to help manage those minutes.

The Fire will have to deal with absences in every position group: Midfielders Rominigue Kouamé and Djé D’Avilla are both likely out for this match, but the most important absence will likely be in the attack: Philip Zinckernagel, who would almost certainly be named the team’s MVP through the first half of the season, is out with a pre-arranged absence that was agreed as part of his deal. Maren Haile-Selassie will likely get his second start on the wing. He has been making a really strong case for more minutes, and now the opportunity is there for the dynamic Swiss winger to seize.

Goalkeeper Chris Brady is with the U.S. Men’s National Team, leaving Jeff Gal – a veteran but one with limited MLS experience – as the man in net for the Fire. That shouldn’t be a concern, though, according to Gutman, who has been statistically the best fullback in the league so far this season.  "Whether Chris [Brady] is in goal, Jeff [Gal]is in goal, whoever's in goal, I don't really have a different viewpoint on the game. Jeff in preseason was amazing, and he showed it every single day. And then obviously, Chris comes in and he's played most of the minutes, but even in training every single day, when Jeff wasn't playing, he was very good, very calm on the ball.”

But more than absences, the Fire’s path to victory will be about who shows up for the team. That applies to no one more than Brian Gutiérrez. After coming back from suspension, Gutiérrez started on the bench and remained there after Kouamé left with an injury. Although he came on in the second half, the message from his coach was clear. Berhalter has repeatedly praised the Fire homegrown’s talent level, but tempered his praise with concerns about his judgment.

Gutiérrez has been good, but so far this season, never indispensable and it’s hard to imagine moments where he seemed to be the difference-maker in the Fire’s attack. With Zinckernagel out, Cuypers working his way back from injury, against a team that was up 5-0 at half when Gutiérrez was subbed off, it’s a golden opportunity for Guti to let his talent show through and deliver the kind of performance that he’s capable of.

Projected Starting XI

Match Information and How to Watch

Date and Time: Saturday, June 14 2025, 7:30 PM CT, following Chicago Stars vs. Seattle Reign at 4:00PM CT (doubleheader)Forecast: Partly cloudy with temperatures in upper 60s.Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.TV: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass