Feed the Fire: A Chicago Fire Podcast

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 couple good chances by each team - for the Men in Red, newcomers Dylan Borso and Mbekezeli Mbokazi could've found game winners - but Patrick Schulte and Chris Brady were up to the challenge.

Listen in as Nick breaks down the big plays, analyzes the statisticis, and expresses his concerns for the Fire's position thus far. He also discusses the news of former Columbus Crew players Yaw Yeboah and Derrick Jones receiving lifetime bans from Major League Soccer for gambling on games they played in. How does this affect MLS' reputation and how will their new partnership with predictive market platform Polymarket be affected?

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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 the Crew hold off the attack of Hugo Cuypers, Jonathan Bamba, and Philip Zinckernagel? Tune in as Nick takes a look at how each team will likely approach the match and what the Men in Red need to do to secure an early road victory.

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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 the latest Chicago Fire and MLS headlines, including updates on the new stadium at The 78, the failed Kit Cab, and a restructure at MLS headquarters.

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

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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 the Fire. He projects where the wingers and strikers will be throughout the course of the season and where they will be at the end of their contracts. Get to know more about your hometown team and the current and future stars of Major League Soccer.

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

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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 of Kickbase. A longtime MLS journalist and longer time MLS fan, Favian gives his reactions on the Fire's 2025 season, what he expects from them in 2026, and provides his take on some of the storylines throughout the league. Make sure to listen to the end to hear about Kickbase's new MLS Fantasy app and the plans they have for the future of MLS Fantasy.

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

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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 midfielders. Get the background info and projections on Anton Saletros, Robin Lod, Andre Franco, Dje D'Avilla, Sergio Oregel, Mauricio Pineda, Dylan Borso, Robert Turdean, and Sam Williams. Who do you thinks stars? Who makes the leap forward?

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

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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 ever been.

Nick continues his player profiles in this episode, focusing on the outside backs: Gutman, Jonathan Dean, Leonardo Barroso, and Viktor Radojevic. Tune in and learn about how they came to the Fire and how Nick projects them this season. We also review the various theme nights and new kit launch for the 2026 season.

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

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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 the Fire's centerbacks. Listen in as he gives you the background, projections, salary info, and bios of Jack Elliott, Joel Waterman, Sam Rogers, Christopher Cupps, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi. He even throughs in a brief profile of former Fire II centerback Diego Konincks for comparison. The group looks talented, deep, and competative - and they'll need to be in order to turn around one of the worst defensive units in Major League Soccer.

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

Follow the Fire on SportSpyder.

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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 the sake of monopolizing talent? Do they owe "American soccer" or the USMNT a duty to develop players?

In the second half, Nick profiles each of the Chiago Fire's three goalkeepers: Chris Brady, Jeff Gal, and Josh Cohen. Learn about their playing history, their role in the current Fire team, and what their future might hold - in MLS and abroad.

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

Follow the Fire on SportSpyder.

Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube

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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 the quotes and Nick's reactions.

Nick also provides an update on Major League SOccer's newest partner, Polymarket, a predication market company, and technically not sports gambling. Despite being legal in all fifty states and MLS wanting to ensure integrity in the market, this seems like another gambling sponsor. And as gambling has more influence over the league, the game will suffer.

Tune in and join the conversation! Make sure you like & subscribe, rate & review, and keep growing the show.

Follow the Fire on SportSpyder.

Connect on social media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - YouTube

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.