If there is a number that perfectly sums up the Chicago Fire this season I think we would all have to agree that it’s 0. Saturday was another 0-0 grind at Soldier field against a resilient FC Dallas. Both teams struggled to create much in the way of scoring chances while battling some brutal weather on the Lakefront. The Fire once again allowed 0 goals, they have been behind for 0 minutes this season, and obviously they have 0 losses.
0 Changes to the starting lineup…
The Fire entered Saturday’s game having fielded the same starting eleven in each game this season, but Rafael Czichos was pulled from the team due to entering health and safety protocols, forcing Federico Navarro into the starting lineup and dropping Maurico Pineda back into the right-sided center back spot.
Then in the 18th minute Xherdan Shaqiri went down holding his calf and all Fire fans feared the worst. His recent injury history was always the big question mark about the Shaqiri signing, but hopefully this is just an instance of the team and player playing it safe on a cold, rainy day, knowing that it’s a long season.
So just like that the Fire, a team that had made 0 changes to the starting 11 in each of the previous matches, were down their two best players.
Pineda helps keep a season low 0.3 XGA
Charles Barkley and the crew on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” frequently talk about “the others.” Loosely defined, “the others” are the guys who aren’t stars. They are the role players, and in every season there are going to be games when one or more of “the others” will have to step up and win you the game. You can’t rely on them every night, but from time to time good teams will need big performances from their role players.
And the Fire definitely got some big performances from some of their others on Saturday. It wasn’t pretty, and it won’t be enough every week, or all season. In most games they’ll need their stars to play and play well, but in a game when your best attacking player goes down the Fire did a good job of digging in and relying on their defensive organization.
I have to admit that I was a little nervous about the Fire’s defense without Czichos, but Pineda definitely met the challenge. He led the team with 7 tackles + interceptions and made some crucial interventions to stop promising Dallas attacks.
He was also solid on the ball, and looks like a player who is feeling very confident in his play. He is second on the team in completed passes and also second in completion percentage. (85.3%) It’s interesting that the Fire coaches were very clear from the start of the season that they see him as a midfielder, and I think that clarity really helped him put in solid performances early in the season.
So it’s somewhat ironic that he put in a man of the match performance at center back. It remains to be seen if they will have to call on him again in Orlando or if Czichos will be able to return to the starting lineup, but having players with positional flexibility is very important in any squad and the Fire will definitely need Pineda throughout the season.
Can the Fire score more than 0 goals vs Orlando?
A lot of responsibility will be placed on Brian Gutierrez’s shoulders assuming Shaqiri doesn’t start in Orlando. He came in and had some nice moments against Dallas, and it will be interesting to see how Ezra Hendrickson sets up his team after a week of preparation without Shaqiri. One possible tweak is the three players behind Przybylko might be more fluid and exchange positions more frequently than with Shaqiri on the field, and that just might inject some unpredictability in their attack.
Fans have been calling for Guti to start for a few weeks now, and Saturday should be the game when he gets his chance. It’s often the case that young players get their chance due to injury to more senior players, and now it’s up to Gutierrez to take his chance and show that he needs to be in the team week in and week out. Hopefully he can help create a few goals and help us think about another number instead of 0 when we think about the Fire’s offense. Two or three would be nice.
How to Watch: Orlando City v. Chicago Fire
Date: Saturday 4/8
Time: 12:00 p.m. ct
Nationally: Univision, TUDN
Stream: Twitter (English Audio)
