Chicago Fire FC is back at Soldier Field on Saturday night to welcome the New York Red Bulls for an Eastern Conference clash at Soldier Field.
Ahead of the match, Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson and defender Rafael Czichos spoke with members of the media on the team's weekly Wednesday press conference to discuss the team's preparations.
Among the topics covered were the team's forward-focused approach to training this week, how they're assessing the Red Bulls entering the match, Jairo Torres' impending arrival, and more:
Riding The Wave
The Fire enter Saturday’s return home having experienced consecutive defeats for the first time under Hendrickson. Last Tuesday, Union Omaha were victorious in a penalty shootout at Soldier Field in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, and four days later, the 10-man Fire fell 3-0 on the road at Minnesota United on Saturday.
When asked about how the team is working through this moment, Hendrickson was quick to brush off any concerns.
“We’ve kept it positive, because you have to look at the reality of our situation, and that is at the end of the day we've only lost two games,” he said.
“If we can score some goals and continue to play the type of team defense we've been playing, we'll be in a good position - not that we're not in a good position now. I think a lot of people are taking everything out of context here. At the end of the day, we're one point away from being above the line, three or four points away from being in fourth place.”
Czichos credited the team’s ability to bounce back this week ahead of Saturday’s opportunity to right the proverbial ship against the Red Bulls, and specifically noted the high level of intensity in the team’s last two sessions. But while the Bundesliga veteran praised the team’s mentality, there has still been a lesson taken away from the team’s last two performances.
“It’s easy with our team to get them back on track, because everybody was so disappointed after the last two results,” Czichos said. “We didn't have to talk so much with the young guys because they want to win, and they show it in every practice. But of course I think we made the mistake before, especially me as a captain or as a leader, when we were more successful, we should have kept the intensity higher in the practice. We didn't have a good practice week last week, and yeah, at the end we saw the result on Saturday. I think everybody knows now what to do this week.”
Our House
The Red Bulls ride into Soldier Field this weekend as one of the most in-form teams in the league, particularly on the road. Head coach Gerhard Struber’s side has won all of their first four road matches to begin the 2022 season, a feat not accomplished since the LA Galaxy won their first five in 1998.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” Czichos said. “It's a good team, high-pressing team. It's going to be dangerous for us, especially in the back. But I think we're going to be well prepared for this team. We will analyze them. When we play our game, I think it's going to be difficult for them, as well. I'm happy that we are back home and that we can play in front of our fans. We are undefeated at home, and this is what we want to keep.”
New York are unbeaten in four of their last five outings, including a 3-0 victory against Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium last weekend. They currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points (4-2-2), three points behind the Philadelphia Union in first.
“We’re very aware of their exploits on the road, most recently down in Orlando last weekend,” Hendrickson said. So we know what they're capable of. But it's a Red Bull team, and there's no secret about what they like to do, how they like to play. We've been preparing for that all week, and I think the guys will be ready to go on Saturday.”
“A lot of people are talking about how good they have been on the away games, but also we've been very good at home,” he added. “We've only conceded one goal and have not lost at home. They have to come in here and try to figure out how to break us down, also. It's twofold. It's not just them playing good soccer, it's also us being solid and hopefully get some goals this week. I think coming back at home, getting Shaq one game under his belt, so to speak, after being out with injury, we should be ready as a team to score some goals this weekend.”
Hola, Jairo
The arrival of Mexican starlet Jairo Torres is drawing closer, and Hendrickson is hoping it will not take long to get the Atlas product on the field.
“There's some things that have to go right there for us, ITC [International Transfer Certificate] and all that clearance and stuff like that. But he's someone that we've been expecting for a while now. The time is here, and hopefully we can get him on the pitch in time for Atlanta next weekend because he's the type of player that can help some of those offensive woes that we're having. His individual ability can really, really help us. We hopefully can get all of his paperwork and all the legal stuff done in time for the ATL game.”
Torres was acquired in mid-January as a Young Designated Player, and - beyond the Fire’s May 7 match in Atlanta - will be eying a Soldier Field debut on May 14 when the team hosts FC Cincinnati. The 21-year-old made 118 appearances across all competitions with Atlas, scoring eight goals and picking up nine assists in that span.
On The Mend
While last week tested the depth of Hendrickson’s roster, he noted that things are trending positively health-wise at the moment ahead of Saturday’s return to play.
Shaqiri returned from a left calf injury in Minnesota and played 82 minutes after missing the team’s previous two matches, and is fully fit for this weekend. Midfielder Fabian Herbers is trending positively in dealing with a right hip injury, but is yet to get the green light for full participation.
“Hopefully we can get him back, because that will help us on the attack,” Hendrickson said of Herbers. “As for now, everyone is doing well. We're home, and we want to make sure we don't lose the game, but more importantly we want to pick up the full three points.”
“I think it's high time that we pick up a full three points again at home.”
October 7 vs Charlotte FC
Chicago Fire FC celebrated Fan Appreciation Night on October 7, 2023 to give back to our dedicated fans and their commitment throughout the season!
