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The marquee match for the Chicago Fire that everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived. Inter Miami CF aka The Miami Beatles, the Miami Swifties, or better yet, the Miami Barcelona came into Soldier Field to a huge crowd of over 55,000. Most of them wearing pink Inter Miami Messi shirts.
This was by far the biggest crowd for a Fire game all season, for obvious reasons, even though it was announced beforehand that Lionel Messi wouldn’t be playing. Still recovering from injury, Messi stayed back in Miami and didn’t make the trip.
Now, onto the game. The Fire came out aggressive and with an attacking mindset. Several dangerous crosses in the Miami box, that were defended well by Miami CF.
Inter Miami caught a fastbreak and a wide open unmarked shot in the box gets saved by the diving Fire keeper Chris Brady, only to ricochet off Tobias Salquist, who was standing near the post and went into the back of the net, own goal. Two minutes later Luis Suarez hits one off the top of the post. After a slower start, Miami is coming on hot (no pun intended).
Fire did slow things down after the onslaught. Creating some chances but nothing of major significance. Fire unable to find quality shots on goal. Miami’s aggressive run was enough to get them on the board (albeit with luck) and take a 1-0 lead to halftime.
Tata must not have been satisfied with his teams performance at halftime. Suarez comes out and rifles one past Chris Brady in a one-on-one situation for a 2-0 lead. All in the first minute of the second half.
In the 65th there goes that man Suarez again. A cross from Jordi Alba and Suarez finished it off, and finished off the Fire in the the same context. 3-0 Miami.
In what might be one of the more interesting turn of events. Suarez collided and was potentially fouled, but he proceeded to lay on the pitch for half a dozen minutes until the ref had enough and forced him off the field and gave him a yellow for time wasting. This is the effect of the new MLS time wasting rules. If a player is deemed to be wasting time, they will be punished.
Just like a hockey power play, the ref kept Suarez on the sideline for about four minutes thereafter. Fire’s sloppy play and bad giveaways nearly made it 4-0 when Diego Gomez blasted a shot from outside the box that went off the post.
Ariel Lassiter made his Fire debut in the 73th, coming on to replace Andrew Gutman.
Suarez comes off the field in the 80th, and two minutes later Fire substitute Georgios Koutsias catches Miami sleeping and swiftly puts one away to the back of the net with a fun sliding goal.
Any hope the Fire had for another comeback in the 9 extra minutes of stoppage was snatched away by Miami’s Robert Taylor who found his way to the back of the net in the 94th minute, to put the game away at 4-1.
Big crowd on the night, could have been even bigger had Messi showed, but they certainly didn’t get to see the best of the Fire. Miami did show up and entertain, plus Suarez had a bit showing.
Inter Miami is further cementing their claim for the Supporters Shield and pulling apart from the rest of the league. Fire are now tied for the worst record in the Easter Conference with seven games to go.
A bright spot for the Fire has been the recent play and emergence of striker Georgios Koutsias. The young Greek international has star potential and has been scoring goals. Might be time to get him into the starting lineup next to Hugo Cuypers, in two striker formations.
News:
- Ariel Lassiter made his Chicago Fire debut, entering the match in the 73rd minute for Andrew Gutman.
- Georgios Koutsias opened his regular season scoring account for the Men in Red, scoring his third goal overall of 2024. His first goal came during the Club’s 2024 Leagues Cup run.
- Defender Chase Gasper (leg) and Mauricio Pineda (leg) were unavailable for today’s match.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago Fire will continue a three-game homestand against D.C. United on Saturday, Sept. 7, at SeatGeek Stadium (change of venue due to Chicago Bears game)
