It had only been 38 days, but it felt like a lifetime since the Chicago Fire had won a game.
Gregg Berhalter's six-game winning run in August quickly devolved into a seven-game winless run, heightening the importance of Saturday's international break meeting with Charlotte FC. It was not pretty, and both teams were missing key pieces, but the Fire got the job done, with Johan Gómez's second half strike ultimately making the difference.
Here's what we learned as the Fire finally got back in the winners' column.
Mbokazi is a focal point
Typically, the first takeaway after such an important team milestone is broader than focusing on one player. However, it is impossible to understate just how influential Mbekezeli Mbokazi was in the Fire's turn in fortunes on Saturday night.
Mbokazi had not featured for the Fire since May 23rd; the 20-year-old starred for South Africa at the World Cup, but tore his thigh in training just one day before the Fire's return to play. An injury that, at one point, could have required a season-ending surgery turned into just a 2-month absence, and he returned to training earlier this week to get on the field on Saturday.
Initially slated to see just 45 minutes, Mbokazi played 80 minutes in Charlotte. Backup defender Sam Rogers even warmed up at halftime, with the Fire's original intent being to make a planned substitution; however, Mbokazi continued on and was only withdrawn in the final stages. It's a testament to his mentality and focus that after nearly three months without any game action, the defender wanted to play as long as possible and ended up playing a central role in history.
Individually, Mbokazi shone in this one, and his presence in the lineup was a game-changer compared to what the Fire have been working with over the last two months. His ability to cover ground and cut off attacks gives the team a new defensive dimension they simply haven't had. It also gives more confidence for the midfield, who know they have a safety blanket of sorts that is capable of covering ground and arriving in the box at the last possible second to thwart attacks.
It's also worth mentioning that in possession, the Fire had a little something extra with Mbokazi in at left center back. The Fire played a very aggressive 4-1-4-1 in possession (more on that later), and the South African star was key to making it work. In addition to his 8 defensive contributions, Mbokazi completed a solid 44 of 49 attempted passes.
Most importantly, however, he was successful with 5 of 8 long balls attempted, a very strong ratio especially in his first game back. That is something the Fire did not have with Joel Waterman, and do not have in Sam Rogers. Mbokazi's 6 passes into the final third are something remarkable for a center back.
Frankly, we learned that Mbokazi is the most important player in how the Fire want to operate right now. They struggled without him, but now have their star defender back like he never left. Now, the focus is on keeping him healthy and in form, and he helps make the Fire a real contender.
D'Avilla and Oregel Thrive in 4-1-4-1
As they have for most of the post-World Cup period, the Fire started in a 4-2-4 out of possession. With Anton Salétros out with a knock, Sergio Oregel Jr. got his third straight start, partnering Ivorian star Djé D'Avilla in the two-man midfield.
One of the biggest drawbacks of the 4-2-4 has involved D'Avilla. He is one the team's absolute top talents, yet when deployed in a double pivot, he looks more lost in possession and is often found caught between two minds. The 23-year-old even mentioned a few weeks ago that he felt freer in a single-pivot role, particularly in the 4-3-3 that the Fire have only sparingly used since the break.
The answer to this problem, though, was on display against Charlotte. The Fire were aggressive in possession, playing in a 4-1-4-1 with the ball. Mbokazi's presence and ability to be an integral part of the build-up made this possible, pushing Oregel higher into the attack and leaving D'Avilla to sit deeper in front of the center backs.
This played to the strengths of almost all of the Fire's players. D'Avilla was left with clearer instructions during prolonged spells of possession and divided responsibilities cleanly with Oregel. Oregel was allowed to be more involved in attacking transition moments and was not being asked to be a central figure in defensive transition, one of his weaker areas.
D'Avilla also executed his tasks effectively, and with the extra time and space granted by sitting deeper with the ball, his passing numbers reflected that. The Ivorian completed 74 of 79 passes – a career high – and added an impressive 11 (!) passes into the final third. It was a game where he was tasked with doing things he has not had to lately – and it ended with him being the most influential midfielder overall, totaling 84 touches in an overall complete performance.
Berhalter acknowledged that the setup for this game was intentional to counter Charlotte's 4-3-3 pressing shape, and it worked in that regard. But the way it got the most out of D'Avilla and Oregel in particular means it is a valuable asset in the Fire's arsenal for games in which they will have more of the possession than their opponent.
Gómez, Cohen get the job done...
Beyond the tactical shift, a few other major changes were forced by the international break. Without Robert Lewandowski, Johan Gómez got the start up top; Noah Allen's absence produced a domino effect that moved Leo Barroso to left back and kept Jonathan Dean at right back; as Chris Brady was in Orlando with the USMNT, Josh Cohen got the start in goal.
Two of the three passed their tests. Gómez took the headlines for his game-winner and was an otherwise ever-present force as the main center forward in his second career MLS start. The Mexican-American came up as a striker in his youth days, but has evolved into more of a versatile utility piece, including stretches at wingback, winger, and midfield.
Gómez's goal was not a pretty one, but it didn't have to be. After a lofted Zinckernagel corner was poorly handled by the Charlotte defenders, Gómez made contact with the ball and, with a slight deflection from Luca de la Torre, found the back of the net. It was a scrappy finish, but it got the job done, and that's exactly what you want from your backup striker... and it's not something that backup Fire strikers under Berhalter have been particularly known for over the last two seasons, with Tom Barlow and Jason Shokalook combining to score in just one game over the course of 18 months.
Cohen was the other introduction, making his first-ever Fire first team start at 34 years of age. Brought in to be the #2 goalkeeper, the Israeli-American demonstrated that he is a clear upgrade at the spot and had multiple noteworthy interventions in net. While he wasn't tested on a regular basis – Charlotte managed just two shots on target across 90 minutes – he handled what he had to do to preserve the clean sheet.
Again, while it wasn't anything super exceptional, Cohen did exactly what you would hope for from a backup goalkeeper in MLS, and as it is an upgrade on what they had last season in Jeff Gal, that's all you can ask for.
... but Barroso does not
It could be argued that the matchup-based move of flipping Barroso to the left side of the defense, in some ways, set him up for failure. However, in his first major minutes since a start in New Jersey on August 22nd, the Portuguese defender did not pass the eye test.
Barroso did definitely benefit from a slow night for Pep Biel, who got on the ball just 44 times throughout the match. However, Barroso often looked flat-footed and was the first player substituted by the Fire.
Though Barroso has constantly shown flashes over the last two seasons, living up to his billing as a Portugal youth international, one has to wonder if his consistent injury woes are beginning to take a toll. It is telling that Berhalter trusted Jonathan Dean to man-mark Allan Saint-Maximin on the opposite side, and push Barroso to an unfamiliar left back role in the process.
While he looked like something of a liability in transitional moments, Barroso did leave some positives that will give him a boost heading into the final stretch of the regular season, when he will surely be a factor. Barroso managed three passes into the final third, owing to the attacking license that the presence of Mbokazi at left center back provided him. He also was not dribbled past once, despite a few shaky moments with the ball.
Pressure off, for now
Maybe the most important big-picture thing now, though, is that the pressure is off a little bit after finally getting a win. The seven-game stretch was the worst run of the Berhalter era, and while they played some of the top teams in the league during that time, it led to plenty of outside frustration.
That is relaxed, for now. The win right before a week off means the Fire will enter this short pause with some (slight) upward momentum, and more confidence heading into a rather difficult four-game stretch to open October. It starts with the rescheduled match against the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps, and then continues with a midweek test against the Philadelphia Union, the league's hottest team. They'll round out the run with a trip to New England, who exposed many of the Fire's flaws a few weeks ago in a smash-and-grab 2-1 win at Soldier Field.
Also, from a postseason standpoint, defeating Charlotte once again could be massive. The Fire are perfect against Charlotte under Berhalter, winning four of four across 2025 and 2026; that bodes well considering they are currently one of the Fire's two most likely playoff opponents (Philadelphia and Charlotte are both hovering around 30% likelihood as a first round opponent, according to my predictive model).
In short, it's one of those games with outsized importance because of the context. Under different circumstances, a game during the international break with six first team players missing would be a write-off from a narrative standpoint. But when you are seven games without a win, and facing the team directly above you in the table, who are a very realistic playoff foe at the moment, the scrappy victory will provide a boost in more ways than one.
