The official launch of the Fire’s new logo should also launch a serious effort to upgrade the on-the-pitch product.
On October 4th, Chicago Fire FC will fully launch its new crest with a series of events to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire and the 24th anniversary of the founding of the club. This week should also, if not sooner than that, be the impetus to make some serious changes to this club on the soccer end.
After a wretched 1-5-0 road trip, it is clear now that the continuity that sporting director Georg Heitz hoped would bring success in 2021 has not happened. The Fire are in a worse position in terms of points-per-game than they were a year ago. They have amassed just 46 points in 48 league matches since the start of 2020. The New England Revolution have banked 56 points in 26 matches this season. The Fire’s away record since the end of 2019? 1-16-6. (that doesn’t count the win over Seattle at the MLS is Back Tournament). It is clear now that the Fire will miss the playoffs for the tenth time in twelve seasons after the first twelve seasons of this club’s existence saw just one playoff miss.
These last two seasons in particular have been an abject failure and the perception is that the Fire have not improved in the slightest on the pitch since Joe Mansueto took over as owner, Georg Heitz as sporting director, and Raphael Wicky as coach. As much as Joe Mansueto would like to give people time, these past two seasons have felt like an extension on the eternity that has been a dark age for Fire fans since Ned Grabavoy’s penalty kick sent Real Salt Lake past the Fire to MLS Cup in 2009. Yes, a pandemic disrupted the 2020 season, but the Fire had ample chance to advance in the MLS is Back Tournament and ample chance to make an extended playoffs and managed to botch things up.
There are clearly better people out there who could come in and help resurrect this club. We’re now in a time where people openly wonder if clubs will poach personnel from other clubs to reach the next level or to get back to the top. Bob Bradley’s contract with LAFC is up after this season. Fire fans would welcome him back with open arms even though he left in 2002 to coach the then-MetroStars. Garth Lagerway is a native Chicagoan who built winners at Real Salt Lake and at Seattle Sounders FC. Other good options include LAFC President and GM John Thorrington and Atlanta United Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra. Both are former Fire players and know all about tradition, honor, and passion. Any one of them could resurrect a club that is far from ready to draw 25,000 fans a game at Soldier Field.
The Fire’s average attendance is at 10,966 so far in 2021. They have not had a crowd at 15,000 all season. Of course, the pandemic did not allow for fans in 2020, but the fact that things have not improved on the pitch in the slightest in 2021 have not helped matters. While the marketing, atmosphere around Soldier Field, and television coverage on WGN-TV have improved things off the pitch, the one surefire way to draw fans is for the team to start winning again.
This Chicago Fire FC team was built without a core to build around and no plan to develop players to become part of that core. The last few matches have shown the Fire to be merely eleven players with the only thing in common is the logo and shirt sponsor (both of which will be new in 2022) in front of their shirts and not really a team.
For the remaining ten matches of this season, the Fire do really need to play their Homegrowns more to see what they can do (though Brian Gutierrez will be shut down with his ankle injury) and get rid of albatross contracts like Robert Beric’s at season’s end. They also need to use the launch of the new crest to also launch their 2022 campaign (the club’s 25th) to make serious upgrades to the on-the-pitch product and that might require a new coach and sporting director who can bring in the players needed at all positions so that the writers on the MLS website have something to talk about with the Fire.
Joe Mansueto has shown willingness to spend money to make the Fire relevant in the city from returning to Soldier Field to wanting to build a complex at Hanson Park in the City. (He could also spend the money to push forward the return to red kits sooner than 2024!) He must now show the willingness to come to the conclusion that what’s going on now with the Fire is not working and needs to spend the money necessary to attract front-office people who are much more well-versed in Major League Soccer and who in turn can bring in players who know how to win and can genuinely bring the Fire back to where they were in their first nine seasons of existence.
The reason this team is called the Chicago Fire is to pay tribute to the city’s recovery and rebirth after a devastating fire 150 years ago this October. With the launch of a new crest that is miles superior than the current one, it should be the impetus to launch a recovery and rebirth of Chicago Fire FC.
Chicago Fire
Eastern Conference
