Chicago Fire FC 2026 MLS Season Kick Off Countdown Clock https://www.tickcounter.com/countdown/9425826/chicago-fire-fc-2026-mls-regular-season-kick-off Gregg Berhalter, Puso Dithejane and Mbekezeli Mbokazi say Chicago Fire is ready for season opener MP Tau Comps: Mbekezeli Mbokazi vs Portland Timbers | TLB First 90 Minutes For The FIRE MIR '97: In Their Words: Fire Wrap Up Preseason https://www.meninred97.com/in-their-words-fire-wrap-up-preseason/ News 24: WATCH | Mbokazi and Dithejane embrace Chicago snow and a new start https://www.news24.com/citypress/sp...ce-chicago-snow-and-a-new-start-20260214-1253 Conexion Deportiva: Fire cae ante Portland en cierre del Coachella Valley Invitational https://www.conexiondeportiva.com/p...d-en-cierre-del-coachella-valley-invitational Football Transfers: Barcelona face unexpected Robert Lewandowski twist https://www.footballtransfers.com/e...rana-face-unexpected-robert-lewandowski-twist Sofascore: Chicago Fire FC vs Houston Dynamo-predictions, odds, lineups https://www.sofascore.com/football/match/houston-dynamo-chicago-fire/fabsiab **************************************** Former Fire News ************************* Chivas de Corazon: What did Diego Campillo and Brian Gutiérrez say ahead of El Clásico de México? https://www.chivasdecorazon.com.mx/...-Gutirrez-previo-a-encarar-El-Clsico-de-Mxico Chivas vs. América | Highlights Chivas | Liga MX Jornada 6 | Telemundo Deportes (Guti subbed in at '68th minute) ---------------------------------------------- Non Fire News ------------------------------------- All Footy games on TV today: https://firsttouchonline.com/soccer-tv/ AND ALSO Loonixxx approved global football listings: https://www.livesoccertv.com/schedules/ World Soccer Talk: AC Milan risk losing Christian Pulisic as Premier League team reportedly takes firm stance on USMNT star signing https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ac...edly-takes-firm-stance-on-usmnt-star-signing/ SBI Soccer: Americans Abroad Weekend Rewind: Busio, Robinson, and more https://sbisoccer.com/2026/02/americans-abroad-weekend-rewind-busio-robinson-and-more USA Today: Landon Donovan predicts Noahkai Banks will start for USMNT at World Cup https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...an-noahkai-banks-usmnt-world-cup/88691148007/ The Athletic: What is the hardest coaching job in world sport? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7038551/2026/02/15/hardest-coaching-job-world-sport-discussion/ ESPN: What the soccer world can learn from FA Cup heroes Macclesfield https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/47902939/what-soccer-world-learn-fa-cup-heroes-macclesfield The Guardian: I'm more of a taxi driver than a football player now; but it's OK. Eden Hazard interview https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-driver-than-a-football-player-now-but-its-ok ...and it's Malört Mönday!!! Sunday morning coming down is pretty bad but at least it was still the weekend. Monday however, requires facing the burn of a new commitment to moving forward. No pain, no gain!
MLS Moves: 5 MLS Teams That LOST the 2026 Offseason! Morning Kickaround: MLS Lays Off Expert Matt Doyle & The State of Soccer Media Morning Kickaround: USL's FUTURE Turns On A Game of Chicken
ABC 7: Environmental work at The 78 in South Loop, which will have Chicago Fire stadium, to begin this week https://abc7chicago.com/post/enviro...jwg1Jk2uQuDpo-ZBVw_aem_M8nJk2m-nO1NAmKFhIXh5A
Hot off the presses! Enemies of the Fire PODCAST: 01 | 2026 Chicago Fire Season Preview & MLS Unplugged Then there's this too.... The Cooligans: MLS Teams Got SCAMMED: The Biggest DP Flops. (4:45 @bunge ). LOL
Interesting. "He was just on the Fire at a really bad time." Basically agrees with the consensus around here.
I think Pirlo and Gerrard were bigger disappointments than Shaqiri but I just thought it was funny Shaq made their list.
"Highest paid player in the Leagueeee. Did he make them better? The answer is NO!" Yup matches consensus
Honestly that would ruin my motivation as well but I just recall his indifference and the expression on his face during that corner kick goal where he did absolutely zero. I mean...talk about phoning it in. A real blemish on an otherwise stellar career.
No offense, but that old “meme” is just another example of people placing blame where it shouldn’t exist. The ball’s 18+ inches above his head. What the ******** is he supposed to do? Stretch? He did what he was supposed to do: cover the post. Most people don’t quite get that he always looked like he was “phoning it in” but most people in the states seem to appreciate “grit” and “effort” over skill. I’ll take grit and effort when you have no skill but Shaqiri Pirlo still had skills galore. It was just under appreciated.
I'm not attacking Pirlo's career , just his time in MLS. He pretty much invented a new position, the deep lying playmaker.
When you are (by far) the highest paid player and the tactics are tailored for 'everything to run through you'...and you don't bring the effort, nor make those around you better...and you spend time visibly pouting, walking behind the play, and whining to the referee...whelp, those 'skills galore' don't mean beans.
I know. I just think people weren’t paying attention to his MLS career. They wanted to see sprinting and that clip is a great example. Honestly, WTF can any player do there?
Not sure how you frame 'the Guti experiment' as a failure...fairly sure the consensus would frame it as a 'success'.
https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.c...e-soccer-capitalizing-on-2026-fifa-world-cup/ Non-host cities In non-host markets like Chicago and San Diego, MLS teams are renting out large event spaces for free, tournament-long soccer celebrations with the hope of attracting tens of thousands of fans throughout the World Cup. Both Recess in Chicago’s West Loop and Fit Social on San Diego’s Mission Beach will offer fans the big watch party feel of a FIFA fan festival in a host market, but with the Fire and San Diego FC at the center of the experience. “We’re putting up four giant video boards, we’re spending roughly $500K on the AV to make this the best sporting experience, soccer experience in Chicago,” Baldwin said. “As you think about fans that are excited about soccer and are looking for something social to do and have some discretionary income, this is a great way for us to engage with them, then offer them ticket specials for the games coming out of World Cup and then hopefully eventually have them become fans of the Fire and season-ticket holders.”
. Oh, Dave Baldwin, that would adorable if it was not so pathetic and disgusting and predatory. Squeeze "some discretionary income" out of people? Saying you think people will "become fans of the Fire and season-ticket holders" after watching a few World Cup matches in a big screen demonstrates that you know nothing about soccer fans or what makes us Chicago Fire fans. Ticket specials? Sure, that'll grab them. There are a myriad of ways to watch the World Cup. This is pretty low on the list.