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Tim Hotze

Chicago, IL
Fire vs. Toronto: Tactics and Starting XI

Fire vs. Toronto: Tactics and Starting XI

The Fire entered the international break on a three game undefeated streak and finished the first half of the season with a flourish in the form of a win over the L.A. Galaxy. Despite the results, the team is actually closer to the bottom of the standings than they

Chicago Fire players on pitch after LA Galaxy goal

Fire vs. L.A. Galaxy: Tactics and Starting XI

The Fire have one more chance before the international break – and the halfway point of their season – to find their third win of the season, but to do so, they’ll have to get past an L.A. Galaxy team that went from second last in the Western Conference in

Fire vs. Orlando: Tactics and Starting XI

Fire vs. Orlando: Tactics and Starting XI

With two games before the team closes the books on the first half of the season, the Fire look for their third win against Orlando City, a team that many picked to finish at or near the top of the Eastern Conference and compete for hardware but who have fallen

Two soccer players jostle for the ball during a game

Fire at D.C.: Tactics and Starting XI

In the main match preview, I noted that D.C. has the second longest active playoff drought in the league, after the Fire, and in trying to get back to the postseason, they essentially pursued opposite strategies: The Fire made more changes to the squad, particularly at the top end,

A Colmubus Crew player anglesf or the ball against Chicago Fire players Fabian Herbers and Mauricio Pineda during a soccer ga

Fire vs Columbus: Tactics and Starting XI

After the loss in St. Louis, Frank Klopas and Xherdan Shaqiri both mentioned that it was still “early” in the season, causing me to do a bit of math. With two matches coming up that week, if the Fire won both, they’d have to be a slightly-better-than-average MLS team

two soccer players josttle for the ball during an MLS game

Fire vs Charlotte: Tactics and Starting XI

The Fire are back home for the first of two matches this week. Looking for just their third win of the season – and first in more than a month – the team’s first midweek match of the season comes against Charlotte, a team that has been humming under new Head

Chicago Fire soccer player Arnaud Souqeut advances the ball during a soccer game against St. Louis City FC

Fire at St. Louis City: Tactics and Starting XI

After a three match homestand that was rendered distinctly anhedonic for hometown fans by the Fire’s inability to score a goal during the stretch, the team is back on the road to face their nearest – and newest – MLS neighbor in St. Louis City, a developing rival that the team