The 2021 Chicago Fire FC season was the club's 26th year of existence, as well as their 24th in Major League Soccer. This was the Fire's first season with fans in Soldier Field since 2005 (the Fire had officially moved in 2020, however fans were not allowed in Soldier Field due to the pandemic). The Fire would fail to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth season in a row. Head coach Raphael Wicky was ultimately relieved of his position on September 30, with Assistant Coach Frank Klopas taking over on an interim basis.[1]
| 2021 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Chairman | Joe Mansueto | ||
| Head coach | Raphaël Wicky (Until September 30); Frank Klopas (Interim since September 30) | ||
| Stadium | Soldier Field (capacity: 61,500) | ||
| MLS | Conference: 12th Overall: 22nd | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Canceled | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Robert Beric (8 goals, 3 assists) All: Robert Beric (8 goals, 3 assists) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 31,308 (10/23 v. RSL) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 5,593 (9/29 v. NYC) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 10,703 | ||
| Biggest win | CHI 3–0 ATL (7/3) | ||
| Biggest defeat | NSH 5–1 CHI (7/17) | ||
|
| |||
Current squad edit
As of November 1, 2021
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Previous Club | Player Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Shuttleworth | 
|
G | May 17, 1987 (aged 34) | Sacramento Republic
|
|
| 2 | Boris Sekulić | 
|
D | October 21, 1991 (aged 30) |  Górnik Zabrze
|
International |
| 3 | Jonathan Bornstein |
|
D | November 7, 1984 (aged 37) |  Maccabi Netanya F.C.
|
|
| 4 | Johan Kappelhof | 
|
D | August 5, 1990 (aged 31) | FC Groningen
|
|
| 5 | Francisco Calvo | 
|
D | July 8, 1992 (aged 29) | Minnesota United FC
|
|
| 6 | Miguel Navarro | 
|
D | February 26, 1999 (aged 22) | Deportivo La Guaira F.C.
|
|
| 7 | Ignacio Aliseda | 
|
M | March 14, 2000 (aged 21) | Defensa y Justicia
|
International Young Designated Player |
| 8 | Luka Stojanović | 
|
M | January 4, 1994 (aged 27) | FK Čukarički
|
|
| 9 | Chinonso Offor | 
|
F | May 7, 2000 (aged 21) |  FK RFS
|
International |
| 10 | Álvaro Medrán | 
|
M | March 15, 1994 (aged 27) | Valencia CF
|
|
| 14 | Jhon Espinoza | 
|
D | February 24, 1999 (aged 22) | S.D. Aucas
|
International |
| 18 | Kenneth Kronholm |
|
G | October 14, 1985 (aged 36) |  Holstein Kiel
|
|
| 20 | Wyatt Omsberg |
|
D | September 21, 1995 (aged 26) | Minnesota United FC
|
|
| 21 | Fabian Herbers |
|
F | August 17, 1993 (aged 28) | Philadelphia Union
|
|
| 22 | Mauricio Pineda |
|
D | October 17, 1997 (aged 24) | North Carolina Tar Heels
|
Homegrown |
| 23 | Carlos Terán | 
|
D | September 24, 2000 (aged 21) | Envigado F.C.
|
International |
| 25 | Nicholas Slonina |
|
D | March 20, 2001 (aged 20) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown |
| 27 | Robert Berić | 
|
F | June 17, 1991 (aged 30) |  AS Saint-Étienne
|
Designated Player |
| 28 | Elliot Collier | 
|
F | February 22, 1995 (aged 26) | Loyola Chicago
|
|
| 30 | Gastón Giménez | 
|
M | July 27, 1991 (aged 30) | Vélez Sarsfield
|
International Designated Player |
| 31 | Federico Navarro |
|
M | March 9, 2000 (aged 21) | Talleres de Cordoba
|
International U-22 Initiative |
| 32 | Gabriel Slonina |
|
G | May 15, 2004 (aged 17) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown |
| 34 | Chris Brady |
|
G | March 3, 2004 (aged 17) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown |
| 36 | Andre Reynolds II |
|
D | May 2, 2001 (aged 20) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown On Loan |
| 37 | Javier Casas |
|
M | May 14, 2003 (aged 18) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown |
| 38 | Alex Monis |
|
F | March 20, 2003 (aged 18) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown |
| 39 | Allan Rodríguez |
|
M | May 7, 2004 (aged 17) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown |
| 40 | Brian Gutiérrez |
|
M | June 17, 2003 (aged 18) | Chicago Fire Academy
|
Homegrown |
| 99 | Stanislav Ivanov | 
|
M | April 16, 1999 (aged 22) | PFC Levski Sofia
|
Player movement edit
In edit
| Date | Player | Position | Previous Club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 12, 2020 | Elliot Collier |
F | Chicago Fire FC |
Option was exercised | [2] |
| November 12, 2020 | Djordje Mihailovic |
M | Chicago Fire FC |
Option was exercised | [2] |
| November 12, 2020 | Wyatt Omsberg |
D | Chicago Fire FC |
Option was exercised | [2] |
| November 12, 2020 | Nicholas Slonina |
D | Chicago Fire FC |
Option was exercised | [2] |
| November 13, 2020 | Chinonso Offor |
F | FK RFS |
Signed on a contract through 2023 with an option for 2024 | [3] |
| November 23, 2020 | Jhon Espinoza |
D | S.D. Aucas |
Signed on a contract through 2023 with options for 2024 and 2025 | [4] |
| December 9, 2020 | Stanislav Ivanov |
M | PFC Levski Sofia |
Signed on a contract through 2023 with an option for 2024 | [5] |
| August 6, 2021 | Federico Navarro |
M | Talleres de Cordoba |
Signed as a U-22 Initiative player on a contract through 2025 with an option for 2026 | [6] |
Out edit
| Date | Player | Position | Destination Club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 12, 2020 |  Micheal Azira |
M | New Mexico United |
Option was declined | [2] |
| November 12, 2020 | Jeremiah Gutjahr |
D/M | Indy Eleven |
Option was declined | [2] |
| November 12, 2020 | C. J. Sapong |
M/F | Nashville SC |
Option was declined | [2] |
| November 12, 2020 | Connor Sparrow |
G | Miami FC |
Option was declined | [2] |
| November 30, 2020 | Brandt Bronico |
M | Charlotte FC |
Option was declined; his rights were ultimately traded to Charlotte FC alongside the Fire's 2022 Fourth Round Draft pick in exchange for Charlotte's Fourth Round Draft pick | [7][8] |
| December 17, 2020 | Djordje Mihailovic |
M |  Montreal Impact |
Traded to Montreal in exchange for $800k in GAM in 2021 and 2022, possibly up to $1 million, along with a percentage of any future trade | [9] |
| August 5, 2021 | Przemysław Frankowski |
M | RC Lens |
Sold to RC Lens for an undisclosed fee | [10] |
Loaned out edit
| Date | Player | Position | Destination Club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2021 | Andre Reynolds |
D | Memphis 901 FC |
Loaned to Memphis for the duration of the season | [11] |
Unsigned draft picks and trialists edit
| Pick | Player | Position | Previous Club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2, P33 | Jackson Ragen |
D | University of Michigan |
Ultimately signed with Tacoma Defiance | [12] |
| R2, P47 | Christian Pinzon |
F | California State University, Fullerton |
Pinzon signed with C.D. Guadalajara | [12] |
| R3, P60 | Mitch Guitar |
M | University of Wisconsin |
Officially a member of Indy Eleven, traded to Memphis 901 FC | [12] |
| Trialist | Michael Vang |
M | Forward Madison FC |
Invited to trial with the Fire for the preseason, due to the partnership with Madison | [13] |
Technical staff edit
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Sporting Director |  Georg Heitz
|
| Technical Director | Sebastian Pelzer
|
| Head Coach | Raphaël Wicky (Until September 30)
|
| Assistant Coach/Interim Head Coach | Frank Klopas (Until September 30, Interim Head Coach afterwards)
|
| Assistant Coach |  David Zdrilic (Until May 20)
|
| Interim Assistant Coach | Ludovic Taillandier (Since September 30)
|
| Goalkeeping Coach | Adin Brown
|
Last updated: October 30, 2021
Source: Chicago Fire Technical Staff
Match results edit
Preseason edit
| March 13, 2021 Preseason 1 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–1 | New York City FC | Citrus Ridge, Florida |
| 12:00 PM EST | Berić  14'Collier 54' |
Report | Calvo 1' (o.g.) |
Stadium: ChampionsGate Sports Complex |
| March 20, 2021 Preseason 2 | Philadelphia Union | 0–1 | Chicago Fire FC | Clearwater, Florida |
| 3:00 PM EDT | Martínez  8'Fontana 31'Wagner 61' |
CHI Report PHI Report |
Kappelhof 37' Gutiérrez 40'Casas 100' (Frankowski) |
Stadium: Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex |
| Note: Additional 25-minute period after the full 90 minutes. | ||||
| March 27, 2021 Preseason 3 | Chicago Fire FC | 1–2 | FC Cincinnati | Citrus Ridge, Florida |
| 11:30 AM EDT | Sekulić 15' |
Report | Acosta 35' Harris 78' |
Stadium: ChampionsGate Sports Complex |
| April 3, 2021 Preseason 4 | Orlando City SC | 2–2 | Chicago Fire FC | Orlando, Florida |
| 11:30 AM EDT | Michel 25' Mueller 64' |
Report | Frankowski 3' Stojanović 55' (Frankowski) |
Stadium: Exploria Stadium |
| April 7, 2021 Preseason 5 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–0 | Forward Madison FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 12:00 PM CDT | Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium |
| April 10, 2021 Preseason 6 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–3 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 11:30 AM CDT | Berić 9' (pen.) Calvo 79' (Pineda) |
CHI Report VAN Report |
Dájome 5' Cavallini 30' (Owusu), 60' |
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium |
Regular season edit
| April 17 1 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–2 | New England Revolution | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Berić 5' Stojanović 11'Kappelhof 79' |
Report | Buksa 14' Bou 27'Jones  90+2' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 8,102 Referee: Fotis Bazakos |
| April 24 2 | Atlanta United FC | 3–1 | Chicago Fire FC | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Barco 23', 70' Mulraney 27'Kappelhof 66' (o.g.)Hyndman 81', 85' |
Report | Stojanović 46' Giménez 90' |
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 20,335 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| May 1 3 | NY Red Bulls | 2–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Harrison, NJ |
| 12:00 PM CDT | Davis 42' Cásseres 47'Clarr 64' |
Report | Sekulić 44' Calvo 62' |
Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: unknown Referee: Ted Unkel |
| May 8 4 | Chicago Fire FC | 0–2 | Philadelphia Union | Chicago, Illinois |
| 12:00 PM CDT | Kappelhof 26' Omsberg 48'Sekulić 90+2' |
Report | Burke 51' Glesnes 60'Santos 90+2'Bedoya 90+6'Glesnes 90+7' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 6,457 Referee: Marcos DeOliviera |
| May 13 5 | D.C. United | 1–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Hines-Ike 4' Flores 7'Gressel 47' |
Report | Omsberg 19' Frankowski 52'Herbers 63' |
Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 3,935 Referee: Ramy Rouchan |
| May 22 6 | Chicago Fire FC | 1–0 | Inter Miami CF | Chicago, Illinois |
| 5:00 p.m. CDT | Medrán 9' Stojanović 69'Offor 89'Sekulić 90+1' |
Report | Pírez 22' Ulloa 31'Robinson 61'Shawcross 67'Matuidi 68'Figal 85' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 10,844 Referee: Silviu Petrescu |
| May 29 7 | Chicago Fire FC | 0–1 | CF Montreal | Chicago, Illinois |
| 12:00 p.m. CDT | Report | Camacho 17' Wanyama 62'Toye 87' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 6,680 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| June 19 8 | Columbus Crew | 2–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 6:30 p.m. CDT | Zardes 17', 34' Etienne 21' Williams 25' |
Report | Herbers 44' Medrán 65' |
Stadium: Historic Crew Stadium Attendance: 20,064 Referee: Alex Chilowicz |
| June 23 9 | Chicago Fire FC | 0–1 | FC Cincinnati | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Report | Barreal 50' 79' Vazquez 84' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 5,926 Referee: Ismir Pekmic |
| June 26 10 | Chicago Fire FC | 3–3 | Philadelphia Union | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Glesnes 2' (o.g.) Stojanović 44' Sekulić 56' Navarro 62' Pineda 67' Herbers 81' |
Report | Elliott 10' Sullivan 28' Santos 34' Burke 45+2' Wagner 52' Powell 55' Sekulić 79' (o.g.) |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 7,308 Referee: Fotis Bazakos |
| July 3 11 | Chicago Fire FC | 3–0 | Atlanta United FC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Bornstein 26' Frankowski 31' 58'Aliseda 34, 45+6' |
Report | Bello 27' Wolff 52'Walkes 69' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 14,898 Referee: Baldomero Toledo |
| July 7 12 | Chicago Fire FC | 3–1 | Orlando City SC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Bornstein 12' Medrán 22' Sekulić 45+1' Berić 72' Herbers 84' Offor 90+6' |
Report | Perea 34' Jansson 79' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 8,002 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
| July 17 13 | Nashville SC | 5–1 | Chicago Fire FC | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 7:30 p.m. CDT | Mukhtar 10', 13', 16' Sapong 39'Anuga 62' |
Report | Kappelhof 14' Pineda 27'Aliseda 47'Navarro 49' |
Stadium: Nissan Stadium Attendance: 23,113 Referee: Lukasz Szpala |
| Note: Hany Mukhtar's Hat-trick for Nashville SC was the fastest hat-trick in MLS history | ||||
| July 21 14 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–2 | D.C. United | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Giménez 32', 62' Najar 61' (o.g.) Medrán 65' |
Report | Najar 55' Paredes 82' Skundrich 84' Kamara 87' (pen.) |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 8,306 Referee: Marcos de Oliveira |
| July 24 15 | Chicago Fire FC | 1–2 | Toronto FC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Pineda 70' Medrán 77' |
Report | Soteldo 2' DeLeon 76'Singh 81' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 12,288 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| August 1 16 | Philadelphia Union | 1–1 | Chicago Fire FC | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 5:00 p.m. CDT | Glesnes 30' Wagner 36' Elliott 65' |
Report | Frankowski 10' Omsberg 34' Herbers 41' Berič 78' |
Stadium: Subaru Park Attendance: 16,677 Referee: Michael Radchuk |
| August 4 17 | Chicago Fire FC | 0–0 | New York City FC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Kappelhof 90' |
Report | Parks 42'  73' Tajouri-Shradi 84' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 8,371 Referee: Baldomero Toledo |
| August 8 18 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–1 | New York Red Bulls | Chicago, Illinois |
| 5:00 p.m. CDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 11,894 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
| August 15 19 | Chicago Fire FC | 1–0 | Columbus Crew | Chicago, Illinois |
| 5:00 p.m. CDT | Stojanovic 77' |
Report | Etienne 27' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 13,005 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| August 18 20 | Inter Miami CF | 3–2 | Chicago Fire FC | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| 6:30 p.m. CDT | Vassilev 34' González Pírez 50' Robinson 62' 74' Carranza 84' Pizarro 90+3' |
Report | Calvo 40' Stojanović 48' Herbers 60' |
Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 13,196 Referee: Baldomero Toledo |
| August 21 21 | Orlando City SC | 1–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Orlando, Florida |
| 6:30 p.m. CDT | Michel 51' Mueller 78' |
Report | Terán 72' |
Stadium: Exploria Stadium Referee: Tim Ford |
| August 28 22 | New York Red Bulls | 0–1 | Chicago Fire FC | Harrison, New Jersey |
| 6:00 p.m. CDT | Reyes 73' Duncan 78' |
Report | Berić 32' Terán 81' |
Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 12,018 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| September 11 23 | Sporting Kansas City | 2–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Kansas City, Kansas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | José Mauri 4' Russel 6' |
Report | Stojanović 32' F. Navarro 53'M. Navarro 68' |
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Attendance: 18,467 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| September 15 24 | D.C. United | 3–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Kamara 9' (pen.), 35' (pen.), 44' Pines 12' Gressel 53' |
Report | Terán 7' Giménez 11' |
Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 13,524 Referee: David Gantar |
| September 19 25 | CF Montréal | 2–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Montreal, Quebec |
| 12:00 PM CDT | Quioto 60' Terán 80' (o.g.) |
Report | Stojanović 39' Terán 49' |
Stadium: Saputo Stadium Referee: Marcos de Oliveira |
| September 22 26 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–3 | New England Revolution | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Terán 17', 40' Medrán 34' Giménez 63' |
Report | Kessler 11' Caldwell 31' Bunbury 62' Gil 90+1', 90+1' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 7,052 Referee: Lukasz Szpala |
| September 26 27 | Chicago Fire FC | 0–0 | Nashville SC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Pineda 50' |
Report | Anunga 56' |
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 15,915 Referee: Timothy Ford |
| September 29 28 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–0 | New York City FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Navarro 16' Beric 48' Gimenez 59' Navarro 66' |
Report | Medina 10' Acevedo 27' |
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 5,593 Referee: Baldomero Toledo |
| October 3 29 | Toronto FC | 3–1 | Chicago Fire FC | Toronto, Canada |
| 3:00 p.m. CDT | Soteldo 9',  36', 70' Delgado 44' Gonzalez 56' Laryea 89' |
Report | Berić 16' Offor 86' |
Stadium: BMO Field Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| October 16 30 | New England Revolution | 2–2 | Chicago Fire FC | Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| 6:00 p.m. CDT | Kaptoum 47' Bou 76'Buchanan 90+3' |
Report | Medrán 49' F. Navarro 60'Aliseda 88'M. Navarro 90+3' |
Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 28,414 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
| October 20 31 | FC Cincinnati | 3–4 | Chicago Fire FC | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 6:30 p.m. CDT | Acosta 28' Bailey 30' Vázquez 36' Gyau 48' Cameron 80' Blackett 90+1' |
Report | Berić 14', 17' Kappelhof 45+1' Medrán 71' F. Navarro 68' G. Slonina 79' Stojanović 90+3' |
Stadium: TQL Stadium Attendance: 21,369 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| October 23 32 | Chicago Fire FC | 1–0 | Real Salt Lake | Chicago, Illinois |
| 7:00 p.m. Central Time Zone | Herbers 29' Berić 45' Pineda 67' Gimenez 74' Gutiérrez 86' |
Report | Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 31,308 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| October 27 33 | New York City FC | 1–0 | Chicago Fire FC | The Bronx, New York |
| 6:30 p.m. CDT | Castellanos 51' (pen.), 90+1' |
Report | Pineda 32' |
Stadium: Yankee Stadium Referee: Fotis Bazakos |
| November 7 34 | Columbus Crew | 2–0 | Chicago Fire FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2:30 p.m. CST | Zelarayán 31' Berry 58' |
Report | Navarro 59' Offor 62'Espinoza 88'Ivanov 89' |
Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 19,351 Referee: Timothy Ford |
Squad statistics edit
Note: Italics indicate the player left the squad or was loaned out and hasn't returned from loan
Games played edit
Goalkeeping statistics edit
| No. | Nat. | Name | MLS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean sheets | Saves | GA | |||
| 1 |
|
Bobby Shuttleworth | 4 | 73 | 38 |
| 18 |
|
Kenneth Kronholm | |||
| 32 |
|
Gabriel Slonina | 4 | 46 | 16 |
| 34 |
|
Chris Brady | |||