Plus, the latest news on Chicago Fire FC.
COVID-19: The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the sporting schedule as the number of cases at the time of this report nears 120,000 (and nearing 1,000 in the USA) and the number of resulting deaths is over 4,200. Various leagues have either suspended play or will stage matches behind close doors such as Tuesday’s Champions League match between Atalanta and Valencia, PSG and Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Also to be played behind close doors are Juventus vs. Lyon and Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea. FC Basel has postponed their Europa League match with Eintracht Frankfurt. Wolverhampton Wanders were seeking the same for their match at Olimpiacos after it was learned that owner Evangelos Marinakis (who also owns Nottingham Forest) had tested positive for COVID-19. UEFA has rejected that request.
In the Bundesliga, Wednesday’s match between Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Cologne will be played behind closed doors as well as six of the scheduled nine matches for Matchday 25 including the Revierderby between Dortmund and Schalke. The three exceptions as of now are RB Leipzig-SC Freiburg, Union Berlin-Bayern Munich, and Frankfurt-Gladbach. Germany has reported nearly 1,500 cases—the fourth most in Europe.
In Major League Soccer, Santa Clara County’s decision to ban large gatherings of 1,000 or more will affect the San Jose Earthquakes’ March 21st home match against Sporting Kansas City. No other matches have been affected at the time of this report.
THOUGHTS ON THE FIRE: It was an encouraging point against New England last Saturday. The play has been more positive than last season and fans can look forward to a fully fit Gaston Gimenez and the remaining recent signings receiving their visas and joining the squad. The one pain point from this match is that the defending was still suspect, especially in transition and but for lousy finishing, could have been a different result at Gillette Stadium.
FIRE SIGN ACADEMY PRODUCTS: This week, the Fire signed a pair of players from their academy to homegrown contracts. On Monday, the Fire signed midfielder Brian Gutierrez who had been with the Academy since 2015. Gutierrez, 16, is a native of Berwyn, IL and currently resides in Southwest Suburban Burbank and from Reavis High School.
In his time with the Fire Academy, Gutiérrez has appeared in 79 matches (73 starts), while tallying 28 goals and 39 assists. Under Academy coach Jeff DeGroot, Gutiérrez developed into one of the most talented midfield prospects in the United States.
“Brian is a promising young player who we look forward to working with at the first team level,” said Head Coach Raphael Wicky. “This signing is a testament to the hard work that Brian, his family and the Fire Academy staff have put in throughout the years.”
On Tuesday, the Fire signed midfielder Javier Casas, 16, to a homegrown contract. Casas is a native of Melrose Park, IL and currently resides in Addison. He has been training with the first team during the young season.
Casas joins the Fire after spending the past six seasons (2015-2020) with the Fire Juniors and Academy in Chicago. Throughout his time with the Fire organization, Casas has made 65 total appearances (64 starts), including 19 appearances (19 starts) for the Academy. Casas participated in the Fire’s first-team training camp last season and joined the first team in both Tampa and Los Angeles for the 2020 preseason.
Both Gutierrez and Casas are signed through 2023 with a club option for 2024.
