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The Fire is finally back home after four road games and being gone for over a month. A tough matchup awaits them with the visiting Nashville SC coming into town. The same Nashville who spanked them 7-1 a few weeks ago. This is a revenge game for the Fire, no doubt.
Fire coming out aggressive from the start, certainly revenge is on their mind. Early chances by Brian Gutierrez. Speaking of Guti, he lays out a wonderful deep lob ball to the streaking Jonathan Bamba who has a one-on-one with the goalie and misses it it wide on the near post. A golden chance to go up. The game day operator even got the goal horn going, prematurely.
Good sign the Fire are attack minded from the start. Through 30 minutes the Fire are controlling the game. Nashville having other ideas though when a corner kick to Jeisson Palacios results in a header off the far post. Break for the Fire.
The Fire nearly responded, after a Nashville yellow card, the free-kick headed by Andrew Gutman went straight into keeper Joe Willis’ hands. Minutes later Maren Haile-Selassie blasts one but it’s knocked away by the diving Willis.
Nashville SC had a corner right before the half, but no dice. Halftime, scoreless. Fire defending well and pushing tempo. Solid first half. Cuypers barely with any touches, his teammates need to get him more involved in the second half.
Nashville more urgent to start the second half. It paid off ten minutes in when Hany Mukhtar finds himself open in the box and a cross from Andy Najar finds his feet and he taps it for a 1-0 Nashville lead. You need to mark Mukhtar at all times, especially in the box. That was a big mistake on the Fire.
Fire haven’t been able to muster much serious attack, but it’s Nashville SC who have taken advantage of scoring opportunities, this time Sam Surridge answers the call. Surridge with some nifty moves in the box and plants one in the back of the net for a 2-0 Nashville lead.
Chicago needs to respond, quickly. They tried, but too little too late. Nashville was able to hold them off and secure a road victory. Seems like B.J. Callahan’s group has the Fire’s number this season. At least the Fire won’t have to see them again, unless a playoff matchup is in their future.
Obviously much better effort by the Fire han the 7-2 shellacking they received in Nashville. They get a week off and then two more home games to round out the month, so a good chance to rebound.
| NEXT MATCH: Chicago will have a weekend off before hosting the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, June 25. The midweek match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV |
Notes:
- Saturday’s 2-0 loss marked the first time the Fire were shut out since May 3, when they played to a 0-0 draw against Orlando City SC. It also marked the first shutout loss for Chicago since the last home match of the 2024 season, a 3-0 loss to Nashville.
- Defender Omar González made his second consecutive start of the season and his 268th overall in his career, ranking 12th among all active players in the category. He played 90 minutes in his 298th appearance in Major League Soccer, leaving him two games short of 300.
- Goalkeeper Jeff Gal made his second consecutive start and third of the season in place of Chris Brady, who is with the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Gal suffered the first loss of his MLS career, having recorded two wins in his only two starts against Orlando and D.C. United.
- Homegrown midfielder Sergio Oregel Jr. returned from international duty to start his 15th match in as many appearances this year, playing 90 minutes in the match.
- Beside Brady, defenders Carlos Terán (Lower Body), Sam Rogers (Lower Body) and Christopher Cupps (Lower Body); midfielders Rominigue Kouamé (Lower Body), Chris Mueller (Not Due to Injury) and David Poreba (Lower Body); and winger Philip Zinckernagel (Not Due to Injury) were unavailable for selection tonight.
