Feed the Fire: A Chicago Fire Podcast

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire host a red hot Nashville SC team this weekend at Soldier Field. Tune in as Nick previews the matchup, including the tactics and players the Men in Red need to watch out for. Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, and Cristian Espinoza make from a triple-threat - not unlike the Fire's own Hugo Cuypres, Jonathan Bamba, and Philip Zinckernagel. We'll see which offense wins the...

Hey, soccer fans! Hope you all had a great Spring Break and soccer International Break, and you're ready for Major League Soccer to be back in action! In this episode, Nick breaks down the Chicago Fire's victory over the Philadelphia Union, noting the goals but also worried about the narrow victory over the worst team in MLS. He also discussed the status, lineups, and standings. In the second half...

Hey, soccer fans! Are you as angry as Nick is? On a cold night on the lakefront, the Chicago Fire frustrated fans with bad officiating, bad tactics, and bad individual performances en route to a 2-1 loss against DC United. Tune in as Nick breaks down the problems with the ref, the poos line-up and tactical choices, and wonders when the attacking players will actually start shooting on goal. In the...

Hey, soccer fans! No one likes boring soccer, and no one likes a draw. So by that logic, no one liked the Chicago Fire's match against the Columbus Crew this weekend. Both teams were dealing with injuries and neither wanted to press their attack too hard and give up a an easy counter-attack goal to lose the match. As a result, we saw a game played in the middle third of the field. There were a cou...

Hey, soccer fans! This weekend, the Chicago Fire travel to Ohio to face Eastern Conference rivals Columbus Crew. The Crew are at home for the first time this young season and are looking for their first win. Led by Diego Rossi and Waseem Abou Ali, the home team will have a potent offense. But can they find success against Jack Elliott, Joel Waterman, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, and the Fire backline? Can t...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back talking Chicago Fire FC and talking about a win during their home opener. Goals from Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cuypers, and Robin Lod propelled the Men in Red to a victory despite playing with 10-men after a questionable Jonathan Dean red card. Tune in as Nick breaks down teh goals, the key plays, and the stand-out player performances. He also provides a round-up of all t...

Hey, soccer fans! MLS is back! Nick recaps the Chicago Fire's openeing weekend loss in Houston to the Dynamo by looking at the goals, stats, and general poor performance by the Men in Red. We also hear from our very own soccer scout, John Donovan, on his analysis of the match. Nick concludes his series on player profiles, discussing the history and recent performance of the attacking players for t...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back talking the Chicago Fire stadium developments, roster updates, and firing back at the MLS Soccer Staff pundits and analysts who think the Men in Red will regress this season. What do Kaylen Kyle and Bradley Wright-Phillips know about Chicago anyway!? More people should listen to Dax McCarty. In the second half of the show, Nick brings in special guest Favian Renkel o...

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire concluded their preseason at the Coachella Valley Invitational with a 4-3 loss to the Portland Timbers. Tune in as Nick gives you his notes on the pre-season, including how the Men in Red can improve on defense, sustain their offense, and still surprise a few teams this season. We also continue our series on player profiles, this episode focusing on the Fire midf...

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire's pre-season continues and Nick has all his notes on their latest match, a 2-2 draw against Austin FC. Goals from Andrew Gutman and Jack Elliott came off of corner kicks, and set-piece coach Ryan Needs seems to finally be making an impact on the squad. The Men in Red still need to shore up some gaps in the backline, but the attack looks as threatenting as it's ev...

Hey, soccer fans! The Chicago Fire took to the pitch for their first match in the Coachella Valley Invitational and defeated the LA Galaxy by a score of 3-2. Tune in as Nick breaks down the lineups, notable plays, and the goals - scored by Cuypers, Zinckernagel, and Mueller - and what it means for the upcoming regular season. Nick also continues his player profiles series, this time focusing on th...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back discussed the latest news in Major League Soccer and the Chicago Fire. This episode, he reviews the Men in Red's acquisition of three additional international roster spots, how their value has increased, and how the Fire still need to get into roster compliance. He also ponders on the role of MLS in the development of American players. Has MLS killed development for...

Hey, soccer fans! New month, new opportunities, new shows! The Chicago Fire had their media day last week, and Gregg Berhalter and his players gave us a lot of great quotes to analyze. Nick focused on themes of expectations and new player integration - perenneial playoff appearances is now the floor for the club, and there are players that appear to be eyeing a trophy this season. Tune in to hear...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back with all the latest updates frm around Major League Soccer and the Chicago Fire as it relates to roster construction and transfers. Tune in has he reviews the six amendments to the roster rules and regulations in MLS and how the Men in Red - and the rest of the league - are already using them to their advantage. Nick also runs another lighting-round of transfer updat...

Hey, soccer fans! I hope you're keeping warm this January. The Chicago Fire certainly are keeping us engaged with the latest transfer moves - Kellyn Acosta and the club have mutually parted ways. The MLS veteran helped bring the Men in Red into a new era under Gregg Berhalter, setting standards in training, professionalism, and play - and gave us one of the most memorable goals in Chicago Fire his...

Hey, soccer fans! Happy New Year! The sudden firing of Wilfried Nancy by Celtic Football Club got Nick thinking: Can Major League Soccer coaches find success abroad? To test this theory, he looks at the recent, former coaches of the Chicago Fire: Frank Klopas, Ezra Hendrickson, Raphael Wicky, and Veljko Paunovic. Despite the small sample size, Nick is able to draw some larger conclusions based on...

Happy New Year, soccer fans! With the new year comes new roster moves for Chicago Fire FC. They transfer homegrown defender Justin Reynolds to Sporting Kansas City and sign free agent goalkeeper Josh Cohen. Tune in as Nick breaks down the details of the transfers and gives his opinions on how this strengthens the Men in Red for the upcoming 2026 MLS season. These moves create some flexibility to r...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back with Part 3 of his holiday roundup. In this part, he discussed the Chicago Fire's latest acquisition: free agent midfielder Robin Lod. While not a like-for-like replacement of Brian Gutierrez or famed international talent, Lod bring a toughness, winning pedigree, and consistent on-field performance that the Men in Red will surely benefit from. Lod had a distinguished...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back with Part 2 of his Chicago Fire and Major League Soccer holiday roundup. Today, he discusses the rumored divisional realignment that could take place with the 2027-2028 MLS season. This alignment would see the departure from the current Eastern/Western Conferences and transition to six, geographic based divisions, specifically: Midwest:  Chicago Fire, Minnesota Unite...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back with his holiday round-up of all things Chicago Fire FC and Major League Soccer. In Part 1, he reviews the latest reporting on the club's meetings with star Poland and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski. Things look to be progressing, but slowly. Tune in as Nick gives his thoughts on how Lewa could fit within the Fire's system and what their roster could look in ov...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back talking all things Chicago Fire FC, Major League Soccer, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Tune in as he says farewell to Brian Gutierrez, who transferred to Chivas in Liga MX, and to Giorgos Koutsias, who had his loan to FC Lugano in Switzerland made permanent. The Men in Red will have to make up for the offense lost, but Nick think that will come after they fix the defe...

Hey, soccer fans! And congratulations to Inter Miami CF on their MLS Cup victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps! In this episode, Nick breaks down the stats, the big plays, and the just what the Herons did to win their first Major League Soccer championship. Though cheering against the Boys in Pink, Nick realized that the 'Caps never had control of the match despite the strong statistics. But, Miami...

Hey, soccer fans! MLS Cup 2025 is almost here! Who takes home the trophy: Inter Miami aka Messi & Friends or the Vancouver Whitecaps? Nick breaks down the matchup, the stars who will impact the game, and gives his reactions to the pick from the pundits at Major League Soccer. Later in the show, Nick extols the passion of the South African soccer fans that has come in full-force from the Chicag...

Hey, soccer fans! Nick is back after a Thanksgiving week vacation to Rome. (Be sure to check him on YouTube wearing his new Roma jersey.) He's still a little jet-lagged, but brings to you all the transfer talk surrounding the Chicago Fire. Is Georgios Koutsias likely to return to the Windy City? Will Brian Gutierrez make his move to Liga MX? Just how good is the new center back signing from South...

Hey, soccer fans! Major League Soccer and the Chicago Fire have released their 2026 season schedule. Listen in as Nick gives you the breakdown of the season, the matches he's highlighted, and what the Men in Red's non-conference opponents look like. The Fire's 2026 season has a long home stretch, a long away stretch, and featured matches against the Philadelphia Union, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Int...