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Tim Hotze

Tim is MenInRed97's Managing Editor and a co-host of The Bonfire podcast. He has been with MIR97 since launch in 2023 and is a MLS roster rule nerd and has tasted all 31 flavors of allocation money.

𝕏 Bluesky Chicago, IL
Members of the 1998 Chicago Fire team celebrate the team's open cup victory

Fire to play in 2025 U.S. Open Cup

The Chicago Fire’s first team is set to participate in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after a one-year hiatus, but the team will not participate in the Leagues Cup held between MLS and Liga MX teams under a revamped format for the competition. The moves will

Jonathan Bamba then of Celta de Vigo, plays the ball during a soccer game

Fire roster taking shape as Bamba signs

Having announced the signing of Côte d’Ivoire international Jonathan Bamba to a Designated Player deal, the team’s plans for how it will play in 2025 are becoming clearer. Although the Bamba signing is all but certainly not the last move for Director of Football Gregg Berhalter in his

Neymar Return to Santos Not Done Deal

Neymar Return to Santos Not Done Deal

Neymar Jr.’s return to Santos is not yet a done deal, sources tell MIR97 Media, and since confirmed in statements by the Brazilian club's CEO, despite initial reports claiming that Brazil’s all-time leading scorer will return to his boyhood club on a six-month loan. The 32-year-old’

Why Neymar signing would make sense for the Fire

Why Neymar signing would make sense for the Fire

In a rapidly moving story yesterday, rumors out of Saudi Arabia – which eventually became reports from the United States and France –  have linked the Chicago Fire with Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr., currently of Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, with L’Equipe reporting that Fire and MLS executives have met with Neymar’

Shot of Chicago Fire crest on the training pitch at Intentional Sports Complex

Fire "Three Players Short," says Berhalter

On Tuesday, the Fire completed the second of three days of training at Intentional Sports Complex, the $31 million, 10-acre compound in North Austin built with the support of the Chicago Fire Foundation and baseball player Jason Heyward. The Fire are training in the facility that is normally devoted to

Close up shot of Philip Zenckernagel in a red jersey with Standard Liège

Chicago Fire sign winger Philip Zinckernagel as TAM player

The Fire announced that they have signed Danish winger Philip Zinckernagel from Club Brugge in Belgium, the new Fire front office’s first signing from abroad, after having previously brought in defender Jack Elliott in free agency alongside a number of additions to the supplemental roster. The team has confirmed

Chicago Fire player Hugo Cuypers plays the ball during a game against the Houston Dynamo.

Fire’s depth chart ahead of the transfer window

The new year is here, signaling the MLS offseason is coming to an end: the Fire’s first announced preseason game is set to take place on February 5th as part of the Coachella Valley Invitational tournament and players will be reporting to training camp in more of a matter

Ten thoughts on the Fire's 2025 Schedule

Ten thoughts on the Fire's 2025 Schedule

The 2025 MLS regular season Schedule is set, and the Fire know their opponents and when they’ll be facing them. Although many facets of the MLS schedule remain unchanged – it is still 34 games long, still set to start the last week in February and end, somewhat awkwardly, following

Apr 16, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Fire FC midfielder Gaston Gimenez (30) kicks the ball past Los Angeles Galaxy d

What Gastón Giménez’s departure means for the Fire

Gastón Giménez’s return to South America via mutual contract termination has numerous impacts for the Fire and the team’s roster as the club looks to retool under new Director of Football Gregg Berhalter. The move comes as somewhat of a surprise following repeated rumors over several years that

Close up shot of Gregg Berhalter as he is named Director of Football and Head Coach for the Chicago Fire

Fire, Berhalter announce new sporting hires in front office

The Fire announced a number of front office hires as the team retools under Director of Football and Gregg Berhalter.  Eddie Rock, formerly the senior vice president of football operations with the team, has a new title and responsibilities as head of strategy, continuing his stint with the club. Darcy

MLS Releases GAM information: Fire 26th with $2.9m

MLS Releases GAM information: Fire 26th with $2.9m

For the first time in league history, MLS has published the amount of available General Allocation Money (GAM) for each team. Alongside the Designated Player (DP) rule, the U22 initiative and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), GAM is one of several accounting mechanisms invented by the league that allows teams to

Fire Roster Update: Berhalter Starts to Rework Fire Squad

Fire Roster Update: Berhalter Starts to Rework Fire Squad

Less than two weeks into the MLS offseason, Gregg Berhalter’s plans for the Fire have begun to take shape. Having announced roster decisions early, giving the team some both salary and roster space, the Fire managed to secure Jack Elliott, one of the top free agents available this offseason,

Fire II advanced after a tense shootout.

What to Expect for Fire II with Gregg Berhalter

Tasked with overhauling a roster that finished 28th out of 29 teams in MLS, it would have been understandable if Gregg Berhalter, Gregg Broughton and the team’s sporting department focused their attention during MLS’s short offseason on reworking the first team, leaving Fire II, the team’s reserve

January 18, 2024. Chicago Fire FC players training during 2024 preseason at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. Photo by Emily Burn

Fire, Fire II announce additional coaching and roster moves

The Chicago Fire announced a number of additional changes as the team continues to rebuild under Director of Football Gregg Berhalter and Sporting Director Gregg Broughton. The moves give the new front office further flexibility and also additional gaps to fill with just 12 weeks until the start of the