Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Inter Miami didn’t just mark the start of the 2022 season, but the debut of a few different members of Chicago Fire FC as well.
Despite no goals scored, we saw a resilient and exciting performance from the Fire debutants Saturday against Inter Miami, and there is plenty to build on leading into the home opener at Soldier Field this Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. If you haven’t done so already, I’d highly recommend getting your tickets.
Here’s my review of the Fire players who put on the kit for the first time…
SHAQ
The main man made his debut by going the distance and providing a type of quality and ruthlessness that Fire fans were dreaming of upon his signing.
Xherdan Shaqiri’s vision and football IQ were on full display, and as I’ve been preaching for the past few weeks, he is an incredibly underrated passer.
He constantly receives the ball on the half-turn and picks his head up with one thought on his mind: play forward. It didn’t matter if it was a 30-yard switch into space for Fabian Herbers, or a tightly-threaded 10-yard pass to Stanislav Ivanov making a darting run in behind the backline, Shaq found a way to connect the dots.
He is so savvy in finding space in between the lines and making sure the defender behind him can’t have a sniff of the ball. We had one glimpse of what Xherdan is capable of from distance, as he forced a very good save out of Miami ‘keeper Clément Diop from about 30+ yards out.
Overall, it was a very solid performance from the Swiss International in his debut as he earned Heineken Man of the Match honors and was clearly the best player on the field.
THE SKIPPER
The big question of who was going to be the Fire captain moving forward was answered just before Saturday’s match as head coach Ezra Hendrickson gave Rafael Czichos the armband, and he did not disappoint.
Rafa’s ability to organize, build out of the backline, and put out fires was on full display. He has that sixth sense for where the danger is, and was a big reason goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina was able to keep his first clean sheet of the year.
I have no doubt Czichos will do the © proud. We saw first-hand the level of commitment and composure he brings to the Fire. In years past, that was a game the Fire might drop all three points, but there was a different level of comfort with Czichos patrolling the backline.
OUR POLISH #9
Kacper Przybyłko got his first Fire start at the striker position, and while he didn’t have a ton of chances/delivery, I thought he did some really subtle things to help put the Fire in a position to win.
Kacper was excellent at occupying one of (if not two) of the three center backs for Inter Miami. This allowed for Shaqiri to be matched up 1-v-1 more times than not when initially receiving the ball, which is obviously a good thing. He was also very efficient in not only helping shape out the press, but also joining in on the fun and getting stuck in. Kacper was a pest and caused problems for the Miami backline who were clearly not all that interested or comfortable in possession.
His aerial ability, hold up play, and quick feet were known entities, and we saw all of that as well. Scoring goals and the synchronicity of the front four will be the last thing to fall into place as is usual with any new system/players. It is only a matter of time before the big striker gets the delivery he requires to start banging in goals.
JHON JADER DURÁN
It was only 10 minutes, but the long-awaited debut of Jhon Durán was a brief look into what the 18-year-old has been waiting to do for the Fire since he signed last winter.
The Colombian wasn’t on the field for long, but he was able to register a shot from the parking lot with barely a half-step run up. That is a scary prospect. There was one moment when Durán and Shaqiri were running at a Miami defender who looked helpless, and I can’t wait to see more of Durán as the season goes on. That left foot is special, and I think there are some special goals in his future.
Overall, it was a solid point on the road and a strong showing for some new faces for the Fire. Make sure you are there on Saturday to witness their Chicago debuts when they line up against Alexandre Pato and Orlando City SC on Saturday night. 54 degrees? Yes, please.
BE THERE ON MARCH 5
Get your tickets for our 2022 Home Opener against Orlando City!
