Fire ends season on losing note, looking forward to 2025

Photo: Amanda Cortese

Chicago Fire 0-3 Nashville SC:

CHICAGO, IL—The best part of the 2024 season for Chicago Fire FC and their fans is that it’s over. With a 3-0 loss to Nashville SC on Saturday night, the Fire finish bottom of the Eastern Conference with the second worst record in MLS. The Fire also tied club records for fewest wins (seven) and points (30) in a full season. The average attendance at home games for the Fire this was 21,317. 

Nashville’s goals were by Alex Muyl in the 54th minute, Sam Surridge in the 87th, and Jacob Shaffelburg in stoppage time. The game itself was just about irrelevant given the recent news of Gregg Berhalter’s appointment as the new director of soccer and head coach starting next season. 

This match marks Frank Klopas’s final match as head coach of the Fire after three different stints as coach and a record of 56-61-38. He thanked the fans and media for sticking by the club through thick and mostly thin this season. 

“For me, you know, a lot of emotions running through at this moment,” said Klopas. “The only thing I want to say to you guys that I told the group is that it’s been really an honor for me to serve as a head coach of this club. Any time that I had an opportunity to do so as an interim or stepping in, as a coach, I never I would I never said ‘nope’ because I know what a honor and a privilege that was. You know, and there’s two sides, obviously to everything. There’s a human side which for me is the most important thing.

“So there’s nothing no hiding it, but I think it’s a time to reflect that some point that over the next couple days, learn from good moments, bad moments, and try to improve um as individuals, as players, even myself as I move on to to to an next role. I think difficult times make you better and stronger and when you learn from it, you become even better. So you know, I wish the season would have ended better. We wanted more than anything to finish on the positive note here at home. So we put that behind.

I know better days are coming for the Club. I know that this Club, this offseason [is]an extremely, probably the biggest offseason for me in the Club’s history, because there’s so many things lined up. The Endeavor [Health] Performance Center next year, it’s something that we needed. There’s an opportunity now, with the right changes, to look to improve the team. We have a new direction with Gregg [Berhalter] coming in, and I think the most important thing is for us to help him and do whatever it takes. 

This offseason will be the biggest in Fire history with Gregg Berhalter coming into the dual role, the Performance Center opening early next season, and possibly as many as seven senior roster spots (including two designated player spots) to fill and with owner Joe Mansueto willing to spend whatever it takes to build a winner for Chicago. For the Fire next season’s preparations began on October 8th when Berhalter was named director of soccer and head coach. He has his work cut out for him as evidenced by Saturday’s performance. 

For more of Amanda Cortese’s photos from the night at Soldier Field, please click on the link to her gallery. We thank her and Leslie Smith for their contributions this season.

SCORING SUMMARY:
NSH-Alex Muyl (Godoy) 54
NSH-Sam Surridge  (Leal) 87
NSH-Jacob Shaffelburg (Surridge) 90+1

BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Federico Navarro (caution, reckless foul) 57
NSH-Julian Gaines (cauton, tactical foul) 60
NSH-Jocob Shaffelburg (caution, reckless tackle) 63
NSH-Anibal Godoy (caution, tactical foul) 69

CHICAGO FIRE (4-5-1):  #34-Chris Brady; #24-Jonathan Dean, #22-Mauricio Pineda (#5-Rafael Czichos 61), #14-Tobias Salquist, #2-Arnaud Souquet (#36-Justin Reynolds 61); #8-Chris Mueller (#11-Ariel Lassiter 81), #23-Kellyn Acosta, #17-Brian Gutierrez, #31-Federico Navarro (#30-Gaston Gimenez 61), #7-Maren Haile-Selassie (#19-Georgios Koutsias 70); #9-Hugo Cuypers

Subs not used:  #18-Spencer Richey, #4-Carlos Teran, #12-Tom Barlow, #27-Allan Arigoni

NASHVILLE SC (4-2-3-1):  #30-Elliot Panicco; #23-Taylor Washington, #22-Joshia Bauer, #25-Walker Zimmerman (#3-Lukas MacNaughton 90+2), #29-Justin Gaines; #27-Brian Anunga (#15-Patrick Yazbek 46), #54-Sean Davis (#20-Anibal Godoy 46); #19-Alex Muyl, #10-Hany Mukhtar (#8-Randall Leal 83), #24-Johnny Perez (#14-Jacob Shaffelburg 46); #9-Sam Surridge

Subs not used:  #1-Joe Willis, #2-Daniel Lovitz, #5-Jack Maher, #21-Forster Ajago

EXPECTED GOALS:  CHI 1.5-2.0 NSH
TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 12-17 NSH
SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 6-8 NSH
FOULS:  CHI 13-7 NSH
OFFSIDES: CHI 0-2 NSH
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 4-6 NSH
SAVES:  CHI 5-6 NSH

Referee:  Jon Freemon
Assistant Referees:  Peter Balciunas, Jason White
4th Official:  Fotis Bazakos
VAR:  Alejandro Mariscal
AVAR:  Robert Schaap
Weather:  Sunny and 69º
Attendance:  23,694
Man of the Match:  Sam Surrdige (NSH)