Chicago Fire vs Atlanta United: A Real-Life Miracle

In a season that has had almost nothing but pain for Chicago Fire fans, there is only one way to describe the night of July 3rd: A Miracle. For the first time since probably 2019, the Fire felt truly dominant in a way that no one was prepared for. While the score was only a 3-0 victory over a shorthanded Atlanta United side, the importance of a result like this and the manner in which it was achieved outweighs the circumstances. Let’s check up on what happened:

Most of the early first half was spent with the referee handing out bookings, with three being handed out within the five minute interval between the 26th and 31st minutes. But the game would actually get moving in the 34th minute when Ignacio Aliseda was given just enough space to take a shot from the top of the box, gaining a helpful deflection from a sliding Mo Adams that sent the ball up to the crossbar and in. As the half entered added time, Przemyslaw Frankowski found himself with a golden opportunity of a chance with no one near him and the keeper to beat, but couldn’t find a shot anywhere but straight at Brad Guzan. However, that wasn’t the end of the first half as in the final kick of the half, a bad turnover by Atlanta led to Aliseda getting another shot from distance, sending it past Guzan for his second of the match.

The Chicago Fire were not done yet and in the 58th minute, Frankowski got a second chance at a 1-on-1 with Guzan and did not make the same mistake again. Later in the half, Atlanta United started getting their first real chances of the match. George Bello was able to get behind the defense in the 71st minute, but at a tough angle he wasn’t getting around Bobby Shuttleworth. Later, in the 84th minute, Marcelino Moreno was able to whip a cross to the back post for Machop Chol, but that header also didn’t have much of a chance getting past a prepared Shuttleworth. The match ended 3-0.

Here are three things we learned from this resounding win:

Better Off

An unexpected absence going into this match, at least for me, was Francisco Calvo. Calvo had been called up early to the Costa Rican National Team in preparation for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. After this match, maybe the Chicago Fire might be better off without him. Taking the armband, instead of my prior suggestion of Bobby Shuttleworth, was actually veteran Jonathan Bornstein. And he proved to honestly be a much better leader than either of them.

Despite an early booking in the 26th minute and continuing to show his age against younger and fast attackers, Bornstein did a great job of directing the backline and doing his part in that defense. As I said, he’s not getting any younger and is a liability when placed on the wing, but seeing him at centerback as part of a 3-back set-up gives him a bit more room to receive help. Not only this, but his connection to the fans seems to have been absolutely strengthened with his actions at the end of the game, which stand in stark contrast to Calvo’s alleged comments to fans earlier in the season.

Maybe the Fire are better off without Calvo.

Nacho Arrives

One guy you just have to feel great for after this game is Ignacio “Nacho” Aliseda. Aliseda has been through a rough time since joining the Chicago Fire. He was signed incredibly late into the 2020 preseason and only arrived shortly before the second game of the season. That arrival also came at around the same time as the entire world decided to close up shop for a year. Aliseda was placed into an unfamiliar country without any familiar faces or even any soccer to play. He’s gone on record before about how tough of a time last season was.

But going into this season, Aliseda said that he was finally ready to perform. Last season, the Young Designated Player was practically invisible and in his first appearance this season, Aliseda put together a pretty solid attack late in the 2-2 draw against the New England Revolution. Though Aliseda was sidelined again with another injury for an extended period of time, he’s returned to the starting lineup with a much more positive influence on the game. And with a “full” stadium, he says he’s more than ready to perform for the crowd.

With two goals and an assist in this one, we can only hope that this means he’s finally arrived in the City of Chicago.

Flood The Zone

So, the Chicago Fire won a game convincingly. Sure, it’s a miracle, but there has to be some sort of tangible reason. Outperforming xG isn’t a cause, it’s an effect. So, on a bit of a whim after what I saw in the Chicago Red Stars’ game the day before, I decided to check the heatmap and chalkboard to see where the ball was, as well as the defensive actions. What was revealed was about what I was hoping to find. While Atlanta United held a massive amount more of the possession in the match, the ball mostly stayed in their end. This combined with Fabian Herbers and Alvaro Medran’s impressive defensive work in the attacking midfield allowed for quick counter-attacks that caught Atlanta at a disadvantage.

How was there this much of a numbers advantage? The Fire’s newly implemented 3-man backline. While it did appear at some point against the Philadelphia Union, it was in this match against Atlanta that it was fully functional. With Miguel Navarro and Boris Sekulic’s knack for helping with the attack, it was only natural to give them more of an opportunity to push forward. And most helpful was what ended up being four attacking midfielders flooding the attacking third, showing a lot of movement to help teammates break free and providing that heavy press that kept the ball in Atlanta’s end.

As I’ve said all season: The Chicago Fire play best when they don’t have to worry about defense. And what better way to do that than simply moving what could be a defender into the attack?