Player Ratings: Chicago Fire 2, Houston Dynamo 1
The Fire needed a reaction after last week’s 3-0 loss in Atlanta, and they provided one in their 2-1 win over Houston. The Fire went up 1-0 courtesy of a Xherdan Shaqiri penalty just ten minutes in. The match progressed well for the Fire, and despite a few “bend, not break” moments in defense, it took a poor giveaway from Fabian Herbers directly to Ibrahim Aliyu to equalize for Houston, as the Nigerian turned and nailed a long shot past Chris Brady in the 65th minute. The game was not finished yet, though, as Brian Gutiérrez stepped up big to get on the end of a long ball and loop it over Steve Clark in the 78th minute for the final score. Here is a recap of the Fire’s individual performers.
*Players are listed in the order they lined up, followed by substitutes in the order they appeared.
Starting XI
Chris Brady (7) – Brady was largely untested throughout the match, but still made three saves from chances without any real malice in them. Besides an errant giveaway that did not lead to anything, Brady was positive in possession, and given how well-struck Aliyu’s goal was, there was not much else he could have done.
Allan Arigoni (7.5) – Arigoni had his best match yet at left-back from a pool of good performances so far in 2024. The Swiss defender was involved in both ends of the pitch, which is something I have frequently noted about his play several times this season, but in this game, his defending was a major contributor to the three points. Arigoni had two tackles, 11 duels, and completed two dribbles to cap a great showing.
Rafael Czichos (7) – Rafa recognizably improved from his performance against Atlanta, as he was composed and intricate in a manner more reminiscent of his 2023 form. The German had an 84% pass accuracy, with 10 attempts from that sample being long balls. Czichos also completed three tackles, won 67% of his ground duels, and won the team’s opening penalty after Franciso Escobar simply could not release him from a bearhug during his time, marking him for a corner.
Tobias Salquist (7) – The Dane had a good match despite his limited defensive involvement. Salquist only had four duels and a sole tackle, but he was very involved with play going forward, as he held a 90% pass accuracy from 50 total attempts. With performances like this, the other center-back spot could become his to lose.
Arnaud Souquet (6.5) – It was Souquet’s first match with the first team in 2024, and he played relatively well. The Frenchman won two tackles and looked fairly comfortable at right-back despite being largely deputized at center-back in the past. Houston made several attempts to isolate Souquet when attacking; however, they were to no avail. Souquet was substituted in the 69th minute for Jonathan Dean.
Fabian Herbers (7) – Despite his error leading to the Dynamo’s goal, Fabi played well in his spot back in the midfield double pivot. Herbers maintained a pass accuracy of 81% and had some fluid moments in linkup play on the right side. Fabi also was very involved defensively as he won nine duels, three tackles, and had five ball recoveries.
Kellyn Acosta (7) – Acosta simultaneously anchored the other side of the midfield as he worked in tandem with Fabian Herbers to limit space for Houston in the middle of the field despite both Fire players’ tendencies to go forward. Kellyn was not physically as successful as his partner in winning duels or in the other defensive categories however his off-ball movement and screening stopped the opposition from breaking lines easily. The Texan was substituted in the 88th minute for fresh legs, with Mauricio Pineda being the oncoming player.
Maren Haile-Selassie (6.5) – Maren had previously been in a bit of a rough patch of form, but against the Dynamo he played well and offered a recognizable amount of danger along the right channel. The winger technically did beat his opposition defenders a handful of times with ease in this game, but often that put him into more difficult positions due to the way Houston’s defense and midfield lines worked together. Some good looks on the counter-attack came, but Maren ended the outing without any major offensive contributions.
Xherdan Shaqiri (8.5) – Shaq came back to the starting XI with a bang, as he added a goal and an assist. The power cube stepped up to score in the 10th minute, and despite some quiet stretches of play, the Swiss made another major play as he fed Brian Gutiérrez a well-timed ball over the top for the youngster to convert to get the Fire ahead as they neared full time. Shaqiri was then substituted in the 83rd minute for Federico Navarro.
Chris Mueller (7) – It was Mueller’s first start of 2024, and the Chicagoland native was a consistent attacking outlet. Mueller was important to a recognizable amount of the Fire’s quick transition play, and likely should have gotten a goal contribution himself. Mueller also defended out wide to try and limit Coco Carasiqulla’s influence, which was a major reason why Houston were not as potent as they had been against other teams. Mueller was eventually substituted for Brian Guitiérrez in the 69th minute.
Hugo Cuypers (7) – Time and time again, Hugo has been unlucky to be more involved in the scoresheet, but simultaneously the Belgian has remained as important as ever for the team’s forward play. The striker held the ball up well and, somewhat surprisingly, was dangerous when standing up the opposition defenders, signified by his two completed dribbles. Cuypers did not have the impact he would have liked in terms of goal threat, but it was still a solid showing. He was eventually substituted for Georgios Koutsias in the 83rd minute.
Substitutes
Jonathan Dean (6.5) – JD came on in the 69th minute for Arnaud Souquet at right-back, and while his play on the ball was limited, his defensive work was great. Dean won all of his duels and completed a tackle during his time on the pitch, which helped keep Houston at bay.
Brian Gutiérrez (7.5) – Guti was substituted in place of Chris Mueller, and made proceeded to make his presence felt. Just moments into his time on the field, the homegrown got on the end of a looped through-ball from Xherdan Shaqiri, which he then proceeded to arc over the oncoming Steve Clark to get the Fire ahead at 2-1 in the 78th minute. Besides that, Guti did well to keep Houston on their toes for the remainder of the match.
Federico Navarro (N/R) – Fede appeared as a sub for Xherdan Shaqiri in the 83rd minute; however, the Argentine only had four touches, so he could not earn a proper rating.
Georgios Koutsias (N/R) – Georgios also was substituted on for Cuypers at the 83rd minute, but similarly also had limited time to make a difference as he only had 10 touches and attempted just three passes, thus he could not be rated.
Mauricio Pineda (N/R) – For the Fire’s final substitution, Pineda replaced Kellyn Acosta in the midfield at the 88th-minute mark however with just a sole pass attempt, he also could not earn a proper rating.
Manager
Frank Klopas (7) – Improvement! The Fire’s attacking play at times looked dangerous, and more specifically, they had Houston on the back foot frequently during the first half. The only part lacking from these sequences was that final shot or pass, but regardless, it was good to see a result come versus a good opponent at home. With that said, many of the team’s other issues continued to persist, such as the ease at which individual errors occur. Regardless, this was a big win for the team’s playoff hopes and general moral, but more work is entirely necessary to show any genuine progress.
