Panel Predictions: How Will the Fire Do In 2025?
With the Fire’s first season under Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter set to kick off, the team at MIR97 Media has predictions for the team in 2025. We cover everything from individual accolades to team performance in key competitions.
Team Golden Boot Winner
Alex Calabrese: Hugo Cuypers, 16 goalsMax Sánchez Josa: Hugo Cuypers, 13 goals DJ Hagenwald: Hugo Cuypers, 17 goalsTim Hotze: Hugo Cuypers, 22 goalsAlan Królikowski: Hugo Cuypers, 15 goalsMatt Shabelman: Hugo Cuypers, 19 goals
Last year, Hugo Cuypers became the first Fire player since Robert Berić to score double digit goals for the Fire, but with 10 to his credit, he didn’t ever come close to the league’s Golden Boot, won last year by Christian Benteke at D.C. United with 23 goals. The MIR97 Media panel seems to agree that Cuypers will improve, though only Tim thinks that he’ll come close to the production that’s likely necessary for the MLS Golden Boot: Matt’s prediction of 19 goals was second highest on the panel, and excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season (when Berić managed 12 goals, just two shy of Diego Rossi’s winning tally of 14), that would only have won once in the past decade, equaling New York City FC’s Taty Castellanos who scored 19 times in 2021.
Team Offensive MVP
Alex Calabrese: Jonathan Bamba Max Sánchez Josa: Philip Zinckernagel Tim Hotze: Brian GutiérrezDJ Hagenwald: Brian GutiérrezAlan Królikowski: Jonathan Bamba Matt Shabelman: Jonathan Bamba
The panel is more divided here, though Jonathan Bamba has the most votes. DJ and Tim both picked Brian Gutiérrez, with DJ going on to say that he thinks Guti will hit double digits in both goals and assists. Max is the lone vote for Philip Zinckernagel, who looked very good in preseason and who had more time than Bamba to gel with the team in preseason.
Team Defensive MVP
Alex Calabrese: Chris BradyMax Sánchez Josa: Chris Brady DJ Hagenwald: Chris BradyTim Hotze: Jack ElliottAlan Królikowski: Chris BradyMatt Shabelman: Chris Brady
The consensus is that Chris Brady will repeat defend (ahem) his defensive MVP title with the team, though Tim’s vote of Jack Elliott keeps it from being a universal consensus. The Fire netminder put up near top-of-the-league numbers in the first half of his first season before suffering a sophomore slump (technically in his third year with the team), though the team’s defensive structure often left the still-young netminder out to dry.
Most Improved Player
Alex Calabrese: Brian GutiérrezMax Sánchez Josa: Carlos Terán DJ Hagenwald: Chris BradyTim Hotze: Chris BradyAlan Królikowski: Brian GutiérrezMatt Shabelman: Sergio Oregel Jr.
Fire homegrowns were popular in this category, with two votes each for Brady and Gutiérrez alongside one for Oregel, with Max choosing Carlos Terán. If the Fire are going to have the kind of seasons that voices around the league and fans are talking about, there will likely be strong competition in this category, as about 60% of the Fire’s minutes from last year are returning on the roster. Even if the new signings all hit, a lot of the heavy lifting will come from improvement from players who were here last year.
Breakout Player
Alex Calabrese: Sergio Oregel Jr.Max Sánchez Josa: Leonardo Barroso DJ Hagenwald: Sergio Oregel Jr.Tim Hotze: Sergio Oregel Jr.Alan Królikowski: Brian GutiérrezMatt Shabelman: Brian Gutiérrez
Fire homegrowns once again dominate this category, with Sergio Oregel Jr. leading the way with three votes. The midfielder has just one first-team appearance and has yet to start a game, but came into preseason with everything – including his size – dialed up a notch. Max is again the outlier, hoping that one of the more high-profile signings of the Fire offseason in U22 Initiative player Leonardo Barroso makes the cut.
U.S. Open Cup Prediction
Alex Calabrese: ChampionsMax Sánchez Josa: Quarter finals DJ Hagenwald: FinalTim Hotze: ChampionsAlan Królikowski: FinalMatt Shabelman: ChampionsAll but one of our panelists think that the Fire will be in the final for a major trophy this year (Max, again the lone outlier predicting a quarterfinal finish). Alan and DJ think the Fire will reach the final, while Alex, Tim and Matt think the Fire will lift the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy for the first time in nearly 20 years. Either way – if they just make the final, they’ve got a reasonable chance of making it to continental competition for the first time since the CONCACAF Champions Cup (née League) started the modern format, something that happened to Sporting Kansas City despite falling to Los Angeles FC in the final.
With a limited field of only 16 MLS teams – including only a handful that look like true competitors this year – it’s a golden opportunity for the Fire to become the first MLS team to five Open Cup titles, joining the original Bethlehem Steel and Maccabee Los Angeles.
2025 Standings Finish
Alex Calabrese: 7th in East, playoffs (proper)Max Sánchez Josa: 10th in East, no playoffs DJ Hagenwald: 8th in East, play-in game (host home match)Tim Hotze: 7th in East, playoffs (proper)Alan Królikowski: 8th in East, play-in game (host home match)Matt Shabelman: 8th in East, play-in game (host home match)Everyone but – wait for it – Max thinks the Fire will make the postseason this year, ending the league’s longest-active drought. DJ, Alan and Matt all think the Fire will finish 8th – which will give the team a home match in the postseason – while Alex and Tim both think the Fire will do better, getting into 7th place and making the playoffs proper. (For what it’s worth, that’s the same spot the New York Red Bulls were in last year, which they parlayed into an MLS Cup final appearance.)
Final Thoughts
Alex Calabrese: 2025 will see improvement for the Fire under Gregg Berhalter, though the necessary changes won't happen overnight. I can see the Men in Red finally getting back to the playoffs and competing for the U.S. Open Cup title, but to become an MLS Cup contender, they'll need to build significantly further.Max Sánchez Josa: Although I put that they will miss the playoffs by one spot, I would not be shocked if this season is an immense success and the team over performs significantly. New signings such as Jonathan Bamba, Phillip Zinckernagel, and Leonardo Barroso will end up being undisputed starters and at least one of the three will take the league by surprise. Assuming the defense stays healthy enough, and there isn't as much inconsistency as there was last year, Chris Brady will have such a good season that he will begin to attract attention from European teams, leaving for Europe sooner than later. DJ Hagenwald: The Fire will do well enough this year, I think, to get over 40 points- something they haven't done since 2019. I don't think this season is as good or better than 2017 or 2012, but its a step in the right direction- and with Berhalter, I think he knows he's building for next year as much as anything.Tim Hotze: So far, all of the moves the new front office have made look promising but simply having a solid defensive structure and a system that gives defined-enough roles for young talent to take the step forward will be a huge step up. With the added talent – and the team’s ability to keep on improving the squad – the team should make the postsesaon while also playing a fun, watchable brand of football.Alan Królikowski: The team will improve upon previous seasons as long as GGG and the FO stays true and on track. It won’t be immediately pretty but still an improvement.Matt Shabelman: Fire will finally make the playoffs and that’s all that matters! Oh…yeah USOC champions too.
We’ll check back on these predictions midway through the season and at the end of the year.
