CHGO Chicago Fire Podcast

0:00 Show start 1:20 Fire have won last three! 17:00 Fire FC vs. Philadelphia Union Preview No team in Major League Soccer has been better since the World Cup than the Philadelphia Union. They’ve won 11 of their 13 matches and surged from dead last in the league up to 6th place in the Eastern Conference and only six points behind the 3rd-place Fire. The Fire, then, have picked a good time to figure some things out as after six straight without a win they’ve had three wins from three over the last couple of weeks including over West-leading Vancouver and personal kryptonite NYCF...

After winning six straight matches across MLS play and Phase 1 of  Leagues Cup, the Fire are winless in seven including four straight draws followed by losses to New England and Nashville. With the upcoming schedule not getting any easier, is it time to panic? Is this just the team regressing to the mean and we got too excited with earlier good results? Is there any progress being made on organizing the team around Robert Lewandowski? On the bright side, Anzor Mekvabishvili has arrived in Chicago and Andreas Hanche-Olsen shouldn’t be far behind. Less ideal is that Mekvabishvili and Lewandowski alo...

The Fire prepare to entertain Lionel Messi and friends tomorrow night amid a bit of a turbulent time for the squad. Three straight draws, a frenzied end to the transfer window, and unknown futures for a couple of those signings as well as players out injured mean the Fire aren’t at their best ahead of one of the most pivotal remaining matches of the season. We recap that flurry of late summer roster moves, look and what has and hasn’t worked in the string of 1-point results, and look ahead to what might be the GOAT’s final...

After initially stumbling a bit out of the World Cup break, the Chicago Fire have now won five straight games including being the only MLS team to go perfect in their three matches of Phase 1 in Leagues Cup. As luck would have it, that means a quarterfinal matchup next week against CF Monterrey and old friend Hugo Cuypers. The final hurdle was a win over Cruz Azul in the less than friendly confines of SeatGeek Stadium. Is that Gregg Berhalter’s biggest win as Fire head coach? And after Sunday’s win against Portland, how are we feeling about the Fire...

After two dismal performances out of the World Cup break, the Chicago Fire returned to Soldier Field on Saturday night, where Robert Lewandowski announced himself to the city with two goals to defeat Charlotte FC. What was different about this game, and does it look like the Fire have figured some things out after looking lost in Miami and New York? Also, just when we were getting used to MLS being back, it’s time for another break because of Leagues Cup. Should the Fire care about this tournament? How much does it depend on Thursday’s first game agai...

So much for all the planning and talk of Hugo Cuypers and Robert Lewandowski playing together! Following the arrival of the Polish legend, the MLS Golden Boot leader informed the Fire of his desire to leave the club. Thus, a deal has been agreed in principle with CF Monterrey of Liga MX for a $7.5 million transfer fee. Is that good value? What do the Fire have to do now to improve the team and maximize Lewandowski’s skills? Should they have seen this coming?  Also: Andre Franco and Leonardo Barroso still aren’t healthy, which isn’t great. A VERY bu...

As first reported by The Athletic, Fire striker and MLS Golden boot leader Hugo Cuypers has been sold to CF Monterrey of Liga MX for $7.5 million. Why make this move now? What might the Fire do next? Is this worth the trade off for Lewandowski? We react to the blockbuster move on this CHGO Emergency Podcast presented by Xfinity Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States Men’s National team won their first knockout match at a World Cup since 2002 last Wednesday when they defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to advance to the Round of 16 Monday night in Seattle to face Belgium. Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman provided the goals, while Balogun was suspended… until he wasn’t, maybe or maybe not thanks to the White House?? The US will look to avenge their 2014 elimination by Belgium at the same stage and look to repeat the feat of 2022 and reach the Quarterfinals. We’ll also check in on what’s been going on elsewhere...

The United States Men’s National Team may have lost to Turkiye on the last kick of the game, but who cares! They won their group and now it is time for the knockouts. They’ll face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night in Silicon Valley in search of their first knockout stage win since 2002. We get to know their opponents (including a Chicago connection!) and plot the course toward a potentially historic run.

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IT’S HAPPENING! According to multiple reports, the Fire have agreed to sign Polish legend and former Bayern Munich + Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski on a 2-year contract. Alex reacts to the news and takes your questions on this CHGO Fire Emergency Podcast! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After making history with a record four-goal performance in their opener against Paraguay, the United States Men’s National Team have done it again. In another first since 1930, they’ve won consecutive games at a World Cup for the first time. Not only that, thanks to new tiebreaker rules that prioritize head-to-head results, they’ve already won Group D with a game to spare. More bizarrely, their final group stage opponents Turkiye are already eliminated. What impact with that have on the lineup and how both teams approach the game? With being able to look ahead, we can also see how th...

What a start! The US Men’s National Team made history on Friday night in Los Angeles, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in the highest scoring performance in USMNT World Cup history. Folarin Balogun became the first US men’s player in almost 100 years to score two goals in a World Cup game, while a Paraguay own goal and ludicrous last-minute strike from Gio Reyna supplied the other tallies. Now the US prepare for Australia on Friday in Seattle, with the Socceroos also having won their opening game 2-0 over Turkiye. Will one of these teams book their spot in the knockout roun...

The 2026 World Cup across the United States, Mexico and Canada is upon us! Following a pair of warmup matches in Charlotte and at Soldier Field, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are gearing up for their Group D opener against Paraguay on Friday night in LA. On this first of a series of special World Cup podcast episodes, we’ll get you up to speed on the US team, what we’ve learned from these recent friendlies, what lies ahead of them and how far they might be able to go? Alex Campbell of CHGO Fire and CHGO Stars is joined by Alex C...

Fire goalkeeper and Naperville, IL native Chris Brady is on the USMNT roster for the World Cup! We sing his praises and look back at both how he got here and the history of Fire players at the tournament (which will possibly also include Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Joel Waterman this summer). Meanwhile, Hugo Cuypers’ record-setting goal-scoring streak helps the Fire go into the break on a three-game winning streak and sitting third in the Eastern Conference. What went right in the last few games, and what might the Fire be up to once they get back from a three-week vacation? Al...

The Chicago Fire defense is suddenly falling apart at the worst possible time, allowing three goals in three of their last four MLS matches and slipping down the Eastern Conference standings. Despite Hugo Cuypers continuing his incredible goal-scoring form, Gregg Berhalter’s squad has struggled to stop opponents like FC Cincinnati, Evander, and a young New York Red Bulls team that looked far more composed at Soldier Field. Just weeks after looking like one of the league’s toughest defensive units, the Fire now head toward the World Cup break searching for answers. On the CHGO Fire Podcast, host Alex...

Hugo Cuypers is living up to the ‘Hugoal’ nickname, as the Fire striker has now scored in a team record six straight games! His goals weren’t enough to get better than a frustrating draw in Cincinnati, but they did aid in an absolute demolition of former Fire head coach Rafaeal Wicky’s MLS-worst Sporting Kansas City team. The Fire now sit in third place in the Eastern Conference only behind Nashville and Miami as they get set for the Open Cup Round of 16 vs St. Louis on Wednesday and a quick opportunity for another go at Cincinnati on Saturday...

Following a second straight clean sheet and third straight win, the Chicago Fire find themselves in 2nd place in the MLS Eastern Conference only trailing Nashville SC who they deal their first loss of the season between victories in Philadelphia and against Atlanta. What’s changed to get the Fire into this rhythm? Who has stood out? Is winning games 1-0 sustainable for this team? Does this make us less worried about the health of Hugo Cuypers? How excited should fans be getting about this team as we look ahead to what feels like a softer stretch of the schedule? Al...

The Chicago Fire split their last two matches since the last show. First, in a deja vu of last year, they blew at late lead at home vs DC United and came up empty in a frustrating performance. Then, on the road in Philadelphia, they took the lead twice and held it the second time to take 3 points from the hapless Union in a game that saw the return of Andrew Gutman but an early exit for Philip Zinckernagel. One thing that was the same: Hugo Cuypers of course scored in both games! What have we learned about the 2026 Fire...

The Chicago Fire Football Club broke ground today for their new stadium site at The 78! CHGO Fire host, Alex Campbell attended the event and will discuss this historic day for Chicago Soccer! An ALLCITY Network Production Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. #ChicagoFire #cf97 #VamosFire #ReturnToRed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pers...

Somehow, the 2026 Major League Soccer Season is upon us! After looking back last episode at the Fire’s offseason, we recap and look for takeaways from their preseason trips to Florida and Coachella. How does the Fire’s depth chart shake out with meaningful games less than a week away? Who will be the Fire’s top performers this year? Where do/will they stack up in MLS? Can anybody reasonably compete with Messi’s Miami? We’re building up to First Kick weekend and the Fire’s opener in Houston on this edition of CHGO Fire!

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At long last, the Chicago Fire return to warm up Chicago soccer fans from this brutally cold winter and they’ve hoping to build on a strong 2025 season! Brian Gutierrez and Kellyn Acosta are gone, but there’s several exciting arrivals including Mbekezeli Mbokazi from South Africa and Anton Saletros from Sweden. Will Robert Lewandowski join them this summer? Lots to catch up on as winter break ends with the start of the 5th season of the CHGO Fire Podcast An ALLCITY Network Production Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as...

From Wooden Spoon ‘winners’ to returning to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, 2025 was a year of substantial improvement for the Chicago Fire. In Gregg Berhalter’s first season as sporting director and head coach, the team made huge strides as returning players found new life, new additions shined, and young players were given the opportunity to prove their worth. Off the field, the new Endeavor Health Performance Center opened and the team secured all approvals needed to begin construction on a new downtown stadium.  While the season ended in a tough home playoff loss, there were certain...

📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter Saturday night’s 3-0 loss at home to the Philadelphia Union was not at all how the Chicago Fire would have liked for their season to end. After battling back to a draw in Game 2 in Philadelphia, the Fire were flattened in the opening minutes at SeatGeek Stadium as stand-in goalkeeper Jeff Gal made two crucial errors that led to Union goals. Brian Gutierrez missed a penalty, the game had to be halted due to homophobic chanting, and it was generally a miserable evening in Bridgeview. We recap the bad and the w...

📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter It’s the hope that kills you. After going down 2-0 in Chester, PA on Sunday night in a game they played without star man Philip Zinckernagel the Chicago Fire fought back to equalize and force penalties in Game 1 of their Round 1 series with the Philadelphia Union. After he scored against his old club in stoppage time to send the game to a shootout, Jack Elliott was one of two Fire players to miss their spot kicks and Philly escaped with the win. Next Saturday’s Game 2 at SeatGeek Stadium is now a m...

They did it! The Chicago Fire won their first postseason game since 2009, defeating Orlando City 3-1 on Wednesday night at SeatGeek Stadium thanks to goals from homegrown Brian Gutierrez and star striker Hugo Cuypers. Alex is joined by Alex Calabrese of MLSsoccer.com and Men In Red 97 to recap a fun night in the suburbs and a game the Fire completely dominated. But there’s not much time to relax, as the Fire now prepare for a best-of-three series with Supporters Shield winners the Philadelphia Union beginning on Sunday. Do the Fire have any chance to upset the top se...

📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter The regular season is over and the MLS Cup Playoffs are set! Decision Day wasn’t without its drama as the Fire left it late to secure a draw and hosting rights to Wednesday night’s Eastern Conference Wild Card Game. But was it a missed opportunity, or just emblematic of the Fire’s biggest strengths and weaknesses? Then we look ahead to tomorrow’s matchup with Orlando City, who come in without a win in a month and having struggled against the Men in Red this season. Alex is joined by two good...

📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter The long wait is finally over: the Chicago Fire are headed back to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017! The Fire booked their ticket to the postseason in style with a 5-3 thrilling win in Miami over Messi and Friends following a dominant 2-0 home win over the Columbus Crew.  Meanwhile, Philip Zinckernagel broke Nemanja Nikolic’s 2017 club record for goal contributions in a season as he reached 29 on 14 goals and 15 assists with one match still to play thanks to assisting both of Jack Elliot’s goals in Saturday...

After a change in formation to a back 3 and a 3-0 win up north in St. Paul, the Chicago Fire look an increasingly strong bet to qualify for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs in one of the wild card spots. Why did the tactical changeup from Gregg Berhalter work? Will we see more of it? How is the Eastern Conference playoff picture shaping up with the 9 teams all but settled? What about out West? Alex is joined by Minnesota’s own Jeff Rueter of The Athletic and Total Soccer Show to discuss those questions and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter The summer transfer window for Major League Soccer shut this week, and the Fire got deals done for a new number 10 and a couple of defenders while Carlos Teran departed for Brazil. Are the Fire better off after the changes? And after a wild back and forth win over St. Louis, only one side scored the goals in Philly on Saturday as the Fire were flattened 4-0. How worried should we be about what we saw, and where does that leave things with less than 2 months of the regular season to go...

📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter With no Leagues Cup, the Fire got a week off following wins over Montreal and the Red Bulls. In the meantime, the Fire have made some roster moves and are looking to make additions to boost their playoff odds. Alex and Alex Calabrese of Men in Red 97 Media and MLSsoccer.com check on where things stand for the Fire, and what we can expect them to do in the market. Then, they’re joined by LAFC radio voice Dave Denholm ahead of this week’s visit by the Black and Gold to Sold...

It’s been quite a mix of good and bad in recent weeks, even by the Chicago Fire’s usual erratic standards! Philip Zinckernagel continues to impress, setting records in a history-making first season that will deservedly see him represent the team at this week’s All Star Game. At the opposite end of things, Omar Gonzalez effectively knocked the Fire out of the Open Cup when he appeared to try and knock out Minnesota’s Julian Gressell. Throw in another heartbreaking late goal to drop points and actually dominating a terrible team like you’re supposed to and it’s been a ful...

📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter The Chicago Fire just wrapped up another strange homestand, as two dour and goalless performances vs Nashville and Philly were followed up by a 3-2 win over Charlotte that lifted the Fire into a playoff position. The most consistent thing has been Philip Zinckernagel, who was named to the MLS All Star roster and continued his historic first season with the club with a goal and assist this weekend. He also got married! Before we get to the games though, Alex is joined by former Fire and current Apple and Fox bro...

The Chicago Fire just had their best week in a long time! Maybe ever? A road win in Orlando powered by a Hugo Cuypers brace, the announcement of a new stadium, Chris Brady is going to the Gold Cup, and a barnstorming blowout of DC United featuring a hat trick by Tom Barlow of all people! Alex is joined by Fire radio broadcaster Max Thoma to enjoy all the good news and good vibes ahead of this week’s Stars/Fire doubleheader at Soldier Field!

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At long last! After months of whispers and not so subtle hints, the Chicago Fire on Tuesday morning unveiled their plans for a 22,000 seat, privately funded, soccer-specific stadium in Chicago’s South Loop. Construction is expected to begin this fall, with the expectation it will be completed ahead of the 2028 MLS season. What does this mean for the Fire? For Chicago sports? Alex is joined by CHGO Cubs contributor and WGN Radio’s Kevin Wells to react to and break down the news.

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Last week started well for the Fire, with a dominant 4-1 win on the road against Charlotte FC powered by two goals and an assist for Brian Gutierrez. It ended Sunday with a 1-0 lead that turned into a 3-1 loss to NYCFC at Yankee Stadium in large part due to Gutierrez elbowing an opponent in the face and being sent off. This will be the second time he’s been suspended this season, and by the end of the suspension he will have missed seven matches due to either suspension, injury or national team duty. What do we make of...

The Fire played three home games in the last week and came away with two wins and a draw! What can we learn from the red-card tainted draw with Orlando, Open Cup demolition of Detroit, and long-awaited home breakthrough vs Atlanta? Plus, is Kevin De Bruyne headed for a different city known for its pizza? And how are the Fire’s kids doing these days? It’s an ‘Alex and Alex Show’ as Alex Calabrese of Men in Red 97 Media is in studio to chat about all of that! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for info...

The Fire have played three games since our last show: an entertaining draw vs Messi and friends, a sloppy and crazy 3-2 loss to Cincinnati, and an humiliating blowout at the hands of Gregg Berhalter’s former assistant B.J. Callaghan and Nashville SC. What’s gone wrong, what’s not working, and what can we conclude after 10 games? Then, the Chicago grassroots soccer community, Edgewater Castle FC President and General Manager Andrew Swanson joins the show to talk about the team’s new podcast ‘Stone By Stone,’ promotion and relegation and the state of the lower-division landscape. An ALLCITY Network Prod...

Become a CHGO Diehard for just $4 a month! http://allchgo.com/intro-offer-youtube The third time’s the charm… right? On Sunday afternoon, the Fire welcome Inter Miami to Soldier Field for a third time since Lionel Messi’s arrival in MLS and he might actually play this time! The Fire are a better team in years past, though beset by injuries. Miami after a disappointing draw against Toronto have CONCACAF Champions Cup to deal with first this week. Alex is joined by two broadcasters who will call the action: Fire radio voice on WLS AM 890 Max Thomas, and Inter Miami radio...

Since our last show, the Chicago Fire went on a three-game road trip and returned to Chicago with a maximum nine points! Led by goal-a-game striker Hugo Cuypers, the Fire now sit tied for second place in the Eastern Conference despite continuing to deal with injuries and absences. Alex breaks down the last few weeks and what Gregg Berhalter has this team doing so right, before being joined by Joe Lowery of Backheeled and the Total Soccer Show to discuss his Hugo Cuypers stock increasing in value, Berhalter’s success amid USMNT struggles, and the biggest takeaways from the first mo...

The podcast is back and the Fire are two games into the Gregg Berhalter era! How’s that going so far and what can be taken from just 180 minutes of soccer? Also, the Fire officially unveiled their brand new, state-of-the-art training center and it is pretty spectacular. Alex is joined by good friends of the show Joe Chatz and Tim Hotze for a jam packed 2025 debut.

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