4-24 Chicago Fire

1: Barco out there working on that transfer fee. It’s a ridiculous goal and one that goes sailing over the bar in previous iterations of Barco. For the first time we are seeing real consistency out of little boat. He’s still getting chopped down like a tree in the Amazon, but we’re not seeing his frustrations with that take over. Goals will do that for a player. 

2: Heinze has figured out something that FDB was never able to do, how to be a threat without Josef. Grant it, we have different players and there’s also fans in the stands but still, the attack is very encouraging. God help the league when the Salmon King starts producing goals consistently. 

3: The Chicago goal is an embarrassing one to give away. Fortunately we were able to rally and continue to assert dominance and control. Switching off in silly moments can be a game killer but there’s something different about this team this year. There’s a joy, a freedom and a ton of confidence on display. We are already seeing a collective understanding in the squad. They understand each other. They understand the coach and the coach understands them. 2020 was a damn fluke. This is the Atlanta United we recognize. 

4: There should be ZERO concerns about Josef. He was up for it tonight and it was the most active we have seen him in his kill zone. I saw no hesitation from him and he very nearly had a brace if not for some last ditch defending from the fire. For the 25 mins he was on I thought he contributed a lot and he hit a great long ball. 

5: Heinze! He’s becoming the 13th man. He’s showing his passion and his intensity. It’s crucial to our success. He’s on the field with them! The wins and losses are as much on him as it is the players. I think he’s our kind of coach. Loved the leap into the air after the 3rd goal.