Pre-match: Fire v. (rubber) D_C_ United 3.14.26 7:30 pm (CDT) Soldier Field and Apple TV

We got what we deserved in this one. Have to finish your chances, and we did not. Some of it is guys still getting used to playing together, but that’s literally every team in the league at this point and plenty find ways to win these games.

 

What's weirder was the guy who pushed Dean was making sure it was a corner, he never was calling for a handball.

 

Full time. Unacceptable. Fire sucked. Bamba isn't worth whatever he's paid along with many others

 

Horribly officiated.
Horribly executed.
Tai Baribo annoys me.
That other goalscorer looks like Tilda Swinton's grandson with a TikTok baby face filter on him.

Now my blood pressure's too high.

 

Confession time. I was the lone vote for the loss. It's what I've come to expect, and they do not disappoint.

 

I don't think either team played well enough to win. I think the Fire played poorly enough to lose late in the game.

Pete (thinks that the non-penalty goal against them came after a minute of chaotic and undisciplined play by the entire team)

 

Maybe you we're not very good.

 

I've got a lot of, . . . ahem, thoughts about this game, but if you have any ambition to advance deep into the playoffs dropping points here is UNACCEPTABLE!

 

The PKs….both were ‘ball to hand’, not players using their ‘hands’.

It’s a pet peeve of mine is how many handballs are given for things that were not ‘actions’.

Strangely, the fact that the DC handball appeared to keep the ball out of goal made me go….yea, it the arm changed the game, I can see why it was called…but still wasn’t an action.

Then the Dean one….that ball was long and going to be a goal kick! But he got in the way while trying to stay between his man and the goal. But…again ball to hand, it interrupted the ball becoming Chicago’s goal kick….WAY pickier of a call.

Boo to both

 

PK calls were not the problem.

 

Wasn’t able to watch first kick to last whistle and am rewatching.

First impressions
Hugo = quality DP, not the stereotypical finisher but his workrate and direct contribution is very high. Early 2026 mvp..need him playing and being fed.
Zinck has some wonderful skills, instincts, and moments, but might be trying a little too hard…weird…love what he’s vibing but is not adjusting to who he’s working with, and he simply needs to find more opportunities to shoot…he’s kinda hunting the whole pitch now, vs 2025 ‘attacking downhill’…rather have the goal hungry Zinck than a box to box Zinck.
TLB continues to impress! Lots of game for such a young man, has been very solid, and appears to have a very high ceiling. One more game like that and I’m fully on ‘the bandwagon’
CDM play is ok, but not where it needs to be…reasonably good skills, just different personalities and reactions haven’t clicked yet…SLOW.

Theme building…good quality, good tactics, meh chemistry. Might be GGG expecting them to ‘fjust igure out’…how to play like they have played 3yrs together at a high level. Like the desire, but not sure this combo can do it….need Franco (and maybe Oregel) playing.

Puzzled thoughts
In a tiki-taka way of play you should move quicker and be providing balls where they should be best to receive…or don’t do tiki-taka.
Bamba is a high quality player, but damn if he isn’t often disconnected from how others ‘want to play’…and been struggling to find moments to put the ball on frame.
Saletros has clear game IQ and good skills, but is strangely off and an oddly slow executing…Pineda is not as polished but has a style that connects better with the others….and Dje has frame and great pivots, but is often out of shape. So…who should start?
Lod has clear game IQ and good skills, but (like Bamaba) is not synced up with anyone. I’ve seen him ball, but he hasn’t found that form here, yet. How long does GGG wait before giving Oregel, Poreba, Borso or Dithejane some of his minutes?
Borso raw AF with clear ceiling room to grow…hope he ‘adapts’ quickly and earns minutes….but is his only path through Barroso?

 

With Oregel being the most offensive pivot player I just don't see why we haven't seen a single minute of him yet? Salétros hasn't been a world beater exactly. It's absolutely inexplicable to me and I'm getting frustrated at GGG's substitution choices more so WHEN he chooses to sub (too late often) and to a lesser degree WHO he chooses to sub.

Since we are "Waiting for Gutman" (which was a comedy by the same people who brought you "Spinal Tap", "Best In Show" and "A Mighty Wind"), I wonder what a Borroso on the right and Borso on the left might look like? Seems like Jonny Dean has a black rain cloud over him in the first few matches between the VERY soft red card (that was possibly offsides) and the push resulting in accidental hand ball penalty. Maybe he needs to sit one out for a bit?

 

Good comments.
What/Who did Oregel do to get on the “ do not play” list?
Team defeat again last night, Including GGG. With numerous players just returning to lineup, adverse field conditions and relatively lackluster/ ineffective first half play, it would seem multiple changes at halftime or early second half were warranted. Why not go to 3-4-3 with MHS, Oregel and Borso replacing Dean, Lod and Barroso?
Things deteriorated after subbing Elliott. He is a seasoned veteran who plays under control. Unless he was injured, it was a mistake to take him out at that critical time of match.
A key concern during match preparation was how to breakdown their lowblock defense but Fire clearly failed to do this.
Looking forward to something better in future.

 

I’m disappointed still. My early season enthusiasm has evaporated. This collection of players should not be losing to DCU at home. If last season’s tie was a fluke, this seasons loss is not. Screw these guys.

 

I hear ya. I'm disappointed too but remember how lost we all felt after a 7-1 Nashville loss last season? It was a blip on a long journey. Today is STILL much better than the "He who shall remain nameless" years in the wilderness.

 

I really want to tap out my break down of this game, but my head is still swimming a bit. I'd like a look at the metrics beforehand, but after a career involved with metrics for pay I'm too lazy to look them up right now. I'm sure I can count on others here to provide them (thanks, as always) so here's a stream of unconsciousness rant.

My eye test thought D'Avilla was our best player out there. Did the metrics back that up? Maybe, maybe not, but he was full of endeavor and at least trying to make things happen with the ball at his feet. I don't know if the yellow he got for pounding the ball toward the stands was behind him going off, but I would have been much happier if Saletros went off. Perhaps the 65th minute subs were because both Dje & Elliott were on yellows, but Elliott should be able to manage that situation.

Back to Saletros, sometime it's a good thing when a center mid is anonymous, but not in his case. Thus far he has failed to drive the team in the Franco role. I sense that GGG is leaning on his seasoned vets like Saletros & Lod to figure things out on the field, but it ain't working. Four points in four games against likely non-playoff teams isn't good enough.

So things need to change, don't they? Zinckernagle at CAM has produced more yellow cards than goal involvements. Get him back on the right for a couple of games (maybe after the international break) and hope he gets his mojo back. That, or run MHS out on the right instead of Lod to give him someone besides Bamba willing to run behind the defense. GGG doesn't seem to have enough confidence in Poreba to set him on the bench, let alone run him out in place of Zinckernagle.

Last night's stat line shows a team on the front foot, but lacking ideas.

Stats Summary: CHI / DC
Shots: 16 / 11
Shots on Goal: 2 / 3
Saves: 1 / 1
Passing Accuracy: 84.3% / 66.1%
Corners: 3 / 5
Fouls: 12 / 11
Offsides: 2 / 3
Possession: 63.2% / 36.8%

 

Agreed.

 

I agree Davilla had a fairly strong effort,


But don’t agree he’s in discussion for MOTM.

For me it was Hugo and then Elliot/Mbokazi.
Hugo, as usual set the bar for workrate, he consistently found ways to contribute…just not enough were SOT…so not an unarguable MOTM

Elliot had a very strong game and his stats look like 90min contribution in 65min…full game and he probably would have been my MOTM

Mbokazi put his quality on display with 1v1 and loose balls. Very poised, confident and effective. For me, his age plus the high impact solo plays put him in the conversation.



Regarding Zinck I can’t tell if it’s the lack of chemistry of the front 4 in the attack(and varying WB participation), his big picture precision to create for the whole attack not clicking, or simply not having his quality on the wing to cause havoc. But Lod, despite not being an liability, isn’t providing enough…so I agree, either try MHS at RW or put Zinck back over there and play Oregel, Poreba, or even Pineda at the 10.

Saletros…conundrum. He is contributing, quite a lot, but not the obvious game changing kind of impact. He’s an 8 that is more 6 than 10, so a lot of his work is hard to see. Unfortunately I can’t identify anyone that he ‘clicks with’ and he seems to still be playing ‘methodically’ while we need some alacrity.



The final third has ‘the yips’, and it’s adding anxiety when expecting the are same or better production as last season. Guti’s departure appears to be having more impact than expected

 

I know I'm beating a dead horse here but seeing the Saletros (I'm officially giving up in the accent mark) stats here (and at Who Scored site) and maybe because he's trying to pass in tight areas of the final third at times more so than D'Avila but he has 26 give aways and a 77% accuracy rate while being VERY involved in the match having almost 10% of the possession for his time in the match which over 90 minutes is almost 9 minutes (in a 107 minute game 10 minutes). While I tried to go back to last season and look up some comparable stats for say Franco and Guti I wasn't really able to do a side by side comparison because I guess that particular website wants me to have an account...which I will not. I guess I wonder if this is cutting the mustard? It does not appear so by my eye test and the results.

https://www.whoscored.com/matches/1...-league-soccer-2026-chicago-fire-fc-dc-united

 

I remember looking this up last season:

“Based on standard football analytics, there is no fixed industry average for "giveaways" (losing possession) per 90 minutes. However, high-volume attacking players or midfielders in top leagues often record between 15 to over 25+ lost possessions per 90, reflecting high-risk, high-reward playstyles.”