With their visit from the New York Red Bulls at Soldier Field on Saturday night (6:30 p.m. CT | WGN, ESPN+), the final stretch of the Chicago Fire’s 2020 regular season kicks off in earnest.
Head coach Raphael Wicky and his men will play their final five games of the 2020 season over a 16-day span, which includes a three-match, eight day road trip embedded within.
As a hectic two weeks begin, a win on Saturday would add some cushion above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, where the Fire sit in the 10th and final position entering the match.
“Tomorrow is a big game for us against the Red Bulls,” Wicky told media on Friday afternoon. “We're going to do everything to get the three points and keep the three points here and then think about all the next games. It's clear that in these three road games as well we need to get points.”
Having lost just once in their last six matches (3-1-2), the Fire will hope their positive run continues come kickoff on Saturday. Wicky’s men are 4-1-2 at Soldier Field so far in 2020, which includes a current run of five matches unbeaten following last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City.
While the Club’s home form has been an undeniable positive of the 2020 season, Wicky made clear that they’ll need to unlock another level over these final two weeks if his team is to achieve its postseason goals.
“Home games are big,” Wicky said. “But we also know, and I have spoken to you guys as well, that we know we need to make points on the road as well if you want to go into the playoffs. You cannot only rely on your home games. There is with almost every team moments where you may draw a home game or you may lose a home game. We cannot only rely on that.”
Following the conclusion of Saturday’s match against New York, the Fire will travel to Philadelphia (Oct. 28), Nashville (Oct. 31), and Minnesota (Nov. 4) before returning home for a Decision Day date with NYCFC at Soldier Field on Nov. 8.
“The last five games in the next two weeks is going to be difficult for us, so we really have to push in those last games to get as many points as possible to make the playoffs,” midfielder Fabian Herbers said Friday. “From there, anything is possible.”
“Obviously, we don't want to just achieve the playoffs. We want to hopefully have a run and maybe be a little bit of a surprise team that people hadn’t really thought of.”
Herbers’ torrid scoring form at Soldier Field has cooled slightly as of late, but his emergence in the midfield is a big reason the Fire find themselves in playoff position. Alongside the Club’s stable of 2020 newcomers beginning to find their feet in the league, there’s reason to believe the Fire can keep themselves above the line when things are said and done on Decision Day.
“It's a difficult year, but I think next to the progress we have seen from this team -- and we have clearly seen (that) progress over the last three months -- the playoffs would be the result out of it,” Wicky said. “That would be great to make that.”
“Obviously once you're in the playoff, we know everything is possible. You can beat any team in this league if it's only one game. That would always leave our chances open to win something and to be in the race to go all the way.”
Wicky noted during Friday’s press conference that the Fire will be without the services of midfielder Gastón Gimenez, who is still in quarantine following his time with Paraguay during World Cup Qualifying, as well as forward CJ Sapong, who was granted an excused absence to be with his newborn daughter.
However, the Fire will get a boost from the return of defender Miguel Navarro, who’d also been involved in World Cup Qualifying with Venezuela, and the addition of new signing Carlos Terán, who began training fully with the team at SeatGeek Stadium this week. Both players will be available for selection on Saturday against New York.
The team’s upcoming slate is unquestionably a challenge, but their postseason ambitions remain firm.
“The mentality is the same for every game,” Herbers said. “We go into every game to win the game. If it's at home or if it's on the road, we always give it 100 percent. We always give it all our effort. We put everything into it to make the playoff push, to get a win.”
