Joseph Lowery
Where we left off last year
2024 season: 30 points, 15th in the Eastern Conference, 28th in MLS
Another season, another disappointment for the Chicago Fire, a club that has now missed the playoffs for seven-straight years. The Fire finished dead-last in the East and would’ve claimed the Wooden Spoon as the worst team in MLS if not for the San Jose Earthquakes.
On the field, positives were few and far between for Chicago. But off the field? There was real change.
Sporting director Georg Heitz left his post, leaving the door open for a new face to lead the front office. During Heitz’s five seasons leading the sporting department, the Fire never finished better than 11th in the East. Xherdan Shaqiri also made an exit after agreeing to a mutual contract termination in August.
Despite their brutal record, 2024 really was a season of progress for Chicago.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Gregg Berhalter, manager and chief soccer officer: The former USMNT and Columbus Crew manager is the Chicago Fire’s new soccer czar. He’s leading the front office, taking over for Heitz, and doing the coaching, taking over for Frank Klopas. As MLS becomes increasingly complex, every team outside of Chicago, San Jose, and Kansas City has moved away from having the same person manage from the sidelines and run the front office. If Berhalter can establish quality processes and has hired the right staff, things will be fine in Chicago. If not, things will get messy. Regardless, improvement will come because the bar is in the basement.
