Following the Fire’s 1-1 tie with Toronto FC last Saturday that ended their longshot playoff bid, coach Frank Klopas didn’t minimize the importance of the franchise’s next few months.
“As difficult as these moments are for me, really honestly, this will be probably the biggest offseason — I’ve said it [previously] — in the club’s history,” Klopas said. “There’s an opportunity. There’s a lot of good things that are in place right now. We’re moving into the [new] performance center at the end of the year. There’s a lot of question marks with everyone — even myself, but also with players. And then there’s an opportunity for this club, if you get it right, to take the next step next year.”
Fire coaches have said that for most of the last decade. Since 2018, the result has been the same, as the club has now missed the postseason for seven consecutive years.
It’s now on the Fire to actually change the story.
Klopas is right that a lot is lined up for the Fire to take the leap forward. They have a solid striker in Hugo Cuypers, the best big-money signing made by outgoing sporting director Georg Heitz. Goalkeeper Chris Brady continues his upward trajectory, and it’s reasonable to expect Brian Gutierrez to keep improving. Kellyn Acosta has a winning pedigree, and pieces such as Allan Arigoni and Andrew Gutman (both under team control through 2027) can be important parts of successful teams.
At the top of the roster, the Fire have room to add two designated players thanks to the departure of Xherdan Shaqiri and their ability to buy down Gaston Gimenez. They will have a new sporting director to build around after Heitz’s five failed seasons and an opening to add an executive who’s more familiar with American soccer and the oddities of MLS.
Whoever replaces Heitz, and potentially Klopas, will be joining a franchise bankrolled by ambitious and patient owner Joe Mansueto. Under Mansueto, the club has invested heavily in both the sporting and business sides of the franchise. Attendance at Soldier Field is up, and with the new performance center, the Fire will be at least equal to their peers.
It will take plenty of work during the offseason, but it’s possible the Fire can morph into a 2025 playoff team and avoid an eighth consecutive year sitting out the postseason.
“The one place that we haven’t [taken the next step], has been on the field, not because of lack of trying,” Klopas said. “Sometimes you bring the right players, sometimes they adjust, sometimes they don’t — that’s part of the game. But the opportunity there, the infrastructure that’s been in place, the investment that our owner has made, the patience that he’s shown, and the opportunities now in this offseason.
“A lot of contracts that are up, a lot of option years that you need to make decisions on. So that’s an opportunity to take that next step, if we get it right.”
