Chicago Fire FC (8-7-8, 32 points) defeated Toronto FC (3-11-10, 19 points) 1-0 on Saturday night at Soldier Field. The homestand marks the first time since 2015 that the Fire have won three-straight matches at home, and only the third time in Club history that the team has had three consecutive wins coupled with three clean-sheets.
Przybyłko scored his fourth goal of the season in the 90th minute, putting the Fire on top, when Miguel Navarro received the ball and carried it up the right flank. Navarro whipped the ball into the box where Przybyłko slammed a header past Johnson, who had been impenetrable up to that point. Navarro picked up his third assist of the season on the goal, which is his single-season career high.
Chicago had five shots in the opening 25 minutes, the most dangerous of which was a 23rd-minute attempt by Fabian Herbers. The play began with a short corner kick taken by Brian Gutiérrez to Xherdan Shaqiri who passed it right back to him as he was running back toward the top of the 18. Gutiérrez then sent a sharp ball into the box, where Herbers redirected it with power toward the goal but former Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson reacted well to block the shot.
It looked as though Toronto could break through in the 32nd minute when the Canadian team sent a ball behind the backline for Deandre Kerr who was just a step ahead of Rafael Czichos. Kerr received the ball, taking a controlling touch in the box that slowed him down enough for Czichos to get a toe on the ball and slightly redirect it. Defender Jonathan Dean came up right behind Czichos to finish clearing it out of danger.
Chicago started the second half with one change to the lineup as Kei Kamara took the field for the 411th time in an MLS regular season. In the 67th minute, it looked like Kamara would break through the deadlock, finding himself behind the defense to get a shot off at a tight angle that Johnson once again stopped. The rebound fell right back to Kamara, who tried his luck again but sent it into the side netting on the outside.
Chris Brady demonstrated his focus and skill in the 73rd minute when Toronto’s second-half sub Brandon Servania managed to send a blast to the lower right corner. The Naperville native read the play and got down quickly to make the save with his outstretched hand. The clean sheet was Brady’s sixth clean sheet of the season, also marking the first time he has recorded three consecutive shutouts. Brady and former Fire goalkeeper Gaga Slonina are the only teenagers in MLS history to record three-straight clean sheets.
NEXT MATCH: Chicago and the rest of the league will see a short break for the MLS All-Star break before returning to action in the 2023 Leagues Cup. The Fire will kick off Leagues Cup 2023 on the road against Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, July 27 at Allianz Field. Four days later, the Club will host Puebla at 7:30 p.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium on Monday, July 31. Both Leagues Cup matches will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
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Notes:
- Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Frank Klopas made one change to the starting XI that took the field against CF Montréal on Wednesday. Defender Jonathan Dean replaced Arnaud Souquet in the backline, joining Mauricio Pineda, captain Rafael Czichos and Miguel Navarro.
- Fabian Herbers made his sixth consecutive start, and his second-straight alongside Gastón Giménez.
- Maren Haile-Selassie, Xherdan Shaqiri and Brian Gutiérrez started alongside each other for the fourth consecutive match. Georgios Koutsias led the attack from the outset for the third-straight time.
- Homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady backstopped the team for the 20th time this season, picking up his sixth clean sheet of the 2023 MLS regular season.
- Defender Wyatt Omsberg (left lower leg), midfielders Javier Casas Jr. (right upper arm), Chris Mueller (right upper leg) and Federico Navarro (right lower leg) and forward Victor Bezerra (right lower leg) will not be available for tonight’s match. Additionally, midfielder Ousmane Doumbia is unavailable for the match as he serves a suspension for yellow card accumulation during the 2023 Swiss Cup.
- The Fire have won five of their last six regular-season matches, including the last three. Chicago has won three straight league games just once since the start of the 2018 season, a run in July 2022 that included a home win over Toronto.
- Chicago has collected four points in its last two matches against Toronto FC after taking three points from its previous 14 against the Reds. The Fire have kept clean sheets in each of the last two games, the first time they've shut Toronto out in consecutive meetings.
Box Score:
Chicago Fire FC 1:0 Toronto FC
Goals:
CHI - Przybyłko (4) (M. Navarro, 3) (WATCH) 90’
Discipline:
TOR - Petretta (Yellow Card) 55’
CHI - Czichos (Yellow Card) 76’
Chicago Fire FC: GK Brady, D Dean (Souquet, 89’), D Czichos (capt.), D M. Navarro, D Pineda, M Giménez (Terán, 80’), M Herbers (Torres, 72’), M Haile-Selassie (Przybyłko, 89’), M Shaqiri, M Gutiérrez, F Koutsias (Kamara, 46’)
Subs not used: GK Richey, D Aceves, D Burks, F Rodríguez
Toronto FC: GK Johnson, D Rosted (Mabika, 63’), D Franklin, D O’Neill (Hedges, 69’), D Petretta (Servania, 69’), M Ibarra, M Marshall-Rutty, M Osorio (capt.), M Kerr (Blessing, 52’), F Sapong, F Akinola (Coello, 52’)
Subs not used: GK Romero, M Thompson, M Antonoglou, F Perruzza
Stats Summary: CHI / TOR
Shots: 12 / 10
Shots on Goal: 5 / 1
Saves: 1 / 4
Passing Accuracy: 84.5% / 82.9%
Corners: 6 / 2
Fouls: 11 / 12
Offsides: 2 / 2
Possession: 49.5% / 50.5%
Attendance: 18,246
Referee: Sergii Boiko
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Hanson, Mike Nickerson
Fourth Official: Danielle Chesky
VAR: Greg Dopka
Asst. VAR: TJ Zablocki
Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Frank Klopas
On entering the All-Star break on a winning streak...
"That's a really good question. You know, sometimes when you, in a moment like this, you want to continue to play and have games and with the rhythm like the team has been having. This game was a little bit more difficult, I would say, having the third game in one week. You can tell certain players are a little bit fatigued, it was normal. But we still found a way.
We'll have to wait and see. On the other hand, it will give us an opportunity to get some guys healthy, like Federico Navarro. Fede can hopefully be back, maybe one of the games in the Leagues Cup and then be ready when we play Orlando here at home. But it also gives an opportunity for our new player, Doumbia, that arrived today, to give him some time to get acclimated with the team.
So yeah, it's always good when you get into rhythm, you want to continue to play. But it's a lot better to have this break now, after a week with three games at home and three positive results and then, instead of the last one, where we gave up a tough one against Columbus late and we had to think about it like that. So it is what it is. We have to deal with it and move forward but I look forward to the time because we get some guys healthy."
On a message to Kacper Przybyłko...
"I think for me, with Kacper, I mean look, he's a guy that's been in the league, he's a guy that's– he makes, I think, his living in the box, you know, with his movement, we get him service. You even see in that goal, where he went to cut back a little bit, he created that space and the separation. So, it's all about performance and how you do at training, sharpness in training. For me, it's always based on decisions, soccer decisions.
Today, I just felt really late in the game, the way it was going, I felt that we needed to put another striker in there. And you know, you take a risk sometimes at home, but a calculated risk and it paid off. So, I was really happy for the team, but also for Kacper because at times he's been played as a lone striker. I know sometimes he's used to, when he did in Philly, with two. We play with a 10; if he makes runs, we do give him opportunities, we do give him crosses in the box. And it's just about staying positive and keep working and those opportunities will come more often."
On the resilience of the team...
"Yeah, I think it just sometimes, it takes time for things to come together and stuff like that. I felt that we always had the quality in the team and it was just about working extremely hard and believing. I think there is a strong belief within the group right now. Obviously, results do help in that belief, but the guys are committed and the belief is getting stronger. But like I said, there is this break now and I think that it gives us an opportunity to recover, I think, physically and mentally, and then get ready for Leagues Cup.
But then, we have a really difficult schedule coming up; we come back, we play, after Leagues Cup, you play Orlando at home and then you go to LA and then you have Vancouver and September becomes really difficult. That's why these games at home become really, really important that we pick up points. And this was a massive week for us: three games, obviously three wins, but the biggest thing of all was three clean sheets also. You know, that's huge, that really shows the character and the commitment and the mentality of the group."
On the team's recent defensive performance...
"Yeah, it's the whole team, you know? I mean, I think for me it's, I say to the team, it's that I have no problem when guys take risks, they make mistakes, as long as everybody works hard for the team. When we lose the ball or pressure's broken, it's just about always, everyone's sprinting back and getting behind the ball.
You know, I think Chris (Brady) is also growing within every game. He's really young, but you can just see how confident he's getting; in the goal, his decision-making is much better. He has the ability to make the big saves, but now he's more commanding in the box, coming out well on crosses. Within every game, he's gaining confidence also, and so is the backline with him, he's got tremendous support from all those guys. But it's always a team effort, you know, when you get clean sheets, it's not easy. Everybody's got to be committed and be willing to work hard off the ball."
On his current role with the Club....
"I mean, I've been in this situation before with the Club. I've always tried to stick, take a different road. I'm not a youngster anymore and I've always made it clear that, being a coach, I think you have to be willing to move. I've done that, I was away when I was in Montreal for almost two years and that was really difficult for my family.
So, you know, I got back into coaching because of Rafa Wicky and obviously the relationship that I have with our owner and stuff like that. They've asked me to step in and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for the Club. I feel that I've spent a lot of years in many different roles, I have a lot of experience. I just want to help the Club. I think right now, it's way too early for me to assess and say anything. My main focus, I think for all of us right now, is getting into the playoffs and preparing for the next game and then we'll see.
But if I wanted to step in as a coach, and if it doesn't work out here, the clock is always ticking, you know? At some point, you're going to be gone and I don't want to leave Chicago. So that's a decision that, and a conversation that we need to have in the end, with the sporting director and technical director and also with our owner."
Chicago Fire FC Goalkeeper Chris Brady
On the defense in front of him tonight…
“They really laid it all on the line, fully emptied out the gas tank. And that’s one for the team, but also makes me look a little better. They really put in just an absolute shift tonight.”
On how he stays ready for whatever comes next on the field…
“Those are often the hardest games to play, the ones where you don’t have a lot of action because you’re not staying involved as much. But the way I stay tuned in is by making sure I’m constantly communicating with my backline, always moving my feet, not getting lazy with my footwork, always staying on my toes, being ready for anything. Because, like you said in the final moments of the game, they had quite a bit of possession in our final third. Which means there’s lots of opportunities for crosses, lots of opportunities for shots, through balls. All of that you have to be ready for even though it may not happen. So just staying on your toes, staying tuned in, those are kind of the things that go into that. ”
On how he feels about playing out of the back and if he feels he is improving on…
“Yeah, that’s for sure something we’ve been working on in training. I would say at least four times a week. Where we’re doing something with the ball at our feet. Building out of the back specific whether that’s with the team or just with the keepers. It makes me smile that you guys are acknowledging that. But me, Spencer, and Jeff were all working hard, both goalkeeper related stuff and with the ball at our feet so that we can be more attached as the 11th player on the team.”
On how it feels to get three wins and three clean sheets with his backline…
“Yeah, it feels amazing. And I know the backline is really satisfied with the job they’ve done. But for us we’re just happy that we got it for the team. It makes this entire team look a whole lot better when you get three wins, but also you don’t concede in three games. It feels amazing for us, but I’m really happy that these guys get to enjoy the nine points and the clean sheets.”
On getting through 90 minutes without any head collisions from DeAndre Kerr…
“Yeah, I mean. One from Carlos but every game I’m getting hit in the head. But no, it's good. I came up to him after the game and he was like the scar looks good and we had a good laugh.”
Chicago Fire FC Midfielder Jairo Torres
On the concentration the team needs to maintain their playoff spot…
“It’s something that was important for us, being able to be in that spot, and I think that we’re working well to stay on the right track and depend on our own results to stay in a playoff spot.”
On if Leagues Cup play will affect the regular season rhythm…
“No, I don’t think so, they’re still games and we aren’t going to drop in form, we’re not going to rest. We want to have a great showing at Leagues Cup and compete with every team we go up against. I think it’s a great measuring stick for ourselves and Liga MX.”
On his transition from Liga MX to the MLS…
“This is a really competitive team, in general the league is really competitive and physical. I have to adapt myself to the different style of soccer and adapt as much as possible and contribute to the team.”