Positive locker room environment has fueled Fire, says Gutiérrez

The games just can’t stop coming for the Chicago Fire, as they conclude a busy month of May with a road game in Toronto tonight. The team arrived in Canada yesterday, and they will remain away from home for the next couple days as they will travel directly to Cincinnati for Saturday’s match.

The matchup with TFC is an interesting one. Though the Fire have struggled away from home in 2023, recording only one league win away from Soldier Field, Toronto are in an unprecedented state of turmoil. Star DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi are reportedly beefing with Head Coach Bob Bradley, captain Michael Bradley, veteran Mark-Anthony Kaye, and each other. Bernardeschi has publicly criticized the training methods of his coach, which poses questions about how much he’ll be used on the field tonight. Furthermore, despite boasting the largest payroll in the league by a considerable margin, the Ontario franchise finds itself just one point above last place in the Eastern Conference. For all of those reasons, Chicago must look at this game as an opportunity to pick up three points and make up lost ground in the playoff race.

“I think that could benefit us,” Fire midfielder Brian Gutiérrez told us after training yesterday, shortly before the team departed for the airport. “Hopefully we get the result we want and come out with the three points.”

Few 19-year-olds have had the impact in MLS this season that Gutiérrez has. With a team-leading seven assists in all competitions, he’s been a key cog in the Fire’s attack, whether that be as a playmaking #10, a dynamic inside forward, or further outside on the left wing. Though the undroppable form of Designated Player Xherdan Shaqiri has pushed Gutiérrez to a super-sub role a few times in recent weeks, his importance is undeniable, and he’ll certainly have a role to play tonight.

“You can see we have a positive locker room right now,” Gutiérrez added. “We’re still performing at a high level, and we just want to keep going and keep moving forward.”

“Guti” has been excellent lately, but the most important player in the recent uptick in form has been Shaqiri. Since Frank Klopas took over as head coach, the Swiss midfielder has looked worlds better and has been significantly more effective both on and off the ball. Given how the Fire attack is clicking right now, it’s easy to forget how not that long ago, there was a question of “Guti OR Shaq,” but the last few weeks have shown that the best answer might just be “Guti AND Shaq” in a 3-4-2-1. Against Austin in the U.S. Open Cup, both started as dual floating #10s underneath the striker and while it may not be a system that works for every game plan (tonight included), it was fun to watch and presented a viable option for the future.

“I think it's a great system that benefits both of us,” says Gutiérrez. “Obviously, we like to play more inside of the pitch, and we did well; we were organized and compact, and we got the win, which is most important. I’m looking forward to the next games with playing that same [system].”

The two are now forming a visible chemistry on the pitch as Shaqiri works his way back to his highest level. Gutiérrez and Shaqiri have been seated next to one other in the locker room at Soldier Field a few times this season, allowing them to further connect on gameday and build a stronger relationship both on and off the pitch.

“We all know his capacity and the level he brings with his quality on the field,” Guti added. “[Shaqiri is] a good mentor, he gives me good advice and tells me what to do. [He] gives me some viewpoints that he sees, and I just take it in, take the information and learn as much and take it into the game […] He's a good professional, a good teammate, and seeing him every day and seeing what he does, you see why he played at the highest level. I’m just trying to learn from that and keep going, and with the way he's been playing and the group has been playing at the moment.”

The two attacking playmakers will have to be at their best to break down Toronto’s stubborn defense, but both are certainly capable of taking over a game. With an eye not toward the Cincinnati game on Saturday but also the crucial Open Cup quarterfinal against Houston on Tuesday, Klopas may opt to manage some players' minutes, but that doesn’t minimize the importance of tonight’s game against a very beatable opponent at a perfect time to play them.

The Chicago Fire will take on Toronto FC tonight at 6:30 PM CT.