Leo Barroso was not supposed to be the Chicago Fire’s left back. Now, as the season enters crunch time, the Men in Red have won three straight, with Barroso starting on the left in all three.
After over a month without starting a game, and for a Fire team that hadn’t won during that spell, Barroso’s insertion was a surprise. Naturally a right back, he has played essentially every minute since coming to MLS in early 2025 in his preferred position. That is, until two weeks ago, when he started against Charlotte FC on the opposite side and helped the Fire win a tough contest, 1-0.
“It’s been a good experience,” Barroso told MIR97 Media on Monday. “I’ve felt good playing on the left. I think the important thing is to play, whether on the right or on the left.”
“What the coach told me was that I’d been training well on the left and that he saw me as more confident playing on the left. I think that was a good sign for me that the coach trusts me, and it helped me have more confidence in myself.”
The most intriguing part is that Barroso’s emergence at left back wasn’t a forced change due to injuries or other factors. Although the game against Charlotte fell during the international break and new signing Noah Allen was away, the presumptive starter, Andrew Gutman, was still available. Barroso slotted in regardless, partnering a returning Mbekezeli Mbokazi on the left side of the back four.
The Charlotte game was a difficult one to step into in a new role. Barroso had some challenging moments in transition, though he more than made up for it with his one-v-one and in-possession contributions. That was enough to earn the nod against the Vancouver Whitecaps, after which Gregg Berhalter hailed him as one of the top performers after an all-around impressive 90-minute outing.
“Tonight, when you look at his performance, there’s an argument to be made for man of the match,” Berhalter said. “He was outstanding, defending, attacking. In his youth, he always played left back. So he’s used to it. You can see he’s used to coming inside, and we think he had a great performance.”
Although still very young, Barroso is now approaching two years in Chicago. He was an interesting signing back in January 2025, brought over by then-Fire assistant coach Filipe Çelikkaya from Sporting CP’s second team. It was initially a U-22 Initiative move for someone who has, by now, represented Portugal nearly 40 times at the youth level.
Unfortunately, while his talent is obvious, the last 21 months have not all been smooth sailing. Long injury spells have kept him out for prolonged periods, and fitness concerns have, at times, left him to play a more limited role from the bench. It also took time to adapt following the move to a new style of play and a new country where he did not speak the language.
“I like being here, I like Chicago,” Barroso said. “It’s a very beautiful city, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know it. I’ve been here for quite a while now. It was a new experience for me at first when I came here, but now I feel more settled.”
“I understand English better now. It’s still a little difficult to speak, but when I feel confident, I can speak it. I can communicate better with my teammates and, especially, with the coach. I think that’s very good.”
Barroso’s adjustment off the field has allowed him to steadily look better on it; when healthy, he has shown his quality this season. He started the first seven games of 2026, and despite several injury setbacks, has now finally reestablished himself and looks like someone who will be consistently called upon down the stretch, whether as a starter or a key bench option in two positions.
All eyes now are on Wednesday’s showdown with the Philadelphia Union, where a win could hand the Fire a guaranteed playoff berth with five games to spare. The Union’s rebirth since the World Cup has seen them go from the cellar of the Eastern Conference to an outside MLS Cup contender without losing a game since May, and it has been largely fuelled by the rapid development and red-hot form of Cavan Sullivan on the right wing.
Thus, with Barroso, Allen, and Gutman all available for selection, it makes Berhalter’s decision of who will start at left back in this game of the most interesting and telling selection decisions of the season. Whoever gets the nod on that side will seemingly be the player currently deemed most prepared to face a highly technical, in-form opponent in a one-on-one battle.
“It’s good, very good, because Andrew is older and has more experience, including more experience in the league,” Barroso said. “That means I have to work harder and be more rigorous and stricter with myself. For them, it’s good to have me there too. We’re working together, and that’s good.”
“It will be a big test for me (facing Sullivan), so that I can really see what level I’m at and what level I can play at. I think it will be a good matchup.”
This isn’t a game that will define the Fire’s season, but bringing a halt to the Union’s momentum would be a statement result with the postseason looming. After all, they are both the team that eliminated the Men in Red from the first round of the playoffs last season, and currently the most likely first round opponent this season, so a strong result and performance will be a boost.
“It’s good to be able to be thinking about qualifying (for the playoffs) already,” Barroso said. “We feel confident. Philadelphia are a good team. They have good players and they’re aggressive. We’re coming off a win, so we have the confidence to play our game, especially at home. I think we’ll show what we’ve been working on and what we’ve been showing in this game.”
