Chicago Fire took three points from upstart St. Louis City at home in Soldier Field.
Don’t be fooled by the Fire’s current 13th spot placement in the Eastern Conference: With a 3W, 5D, 3L record, recent coaching troubles and a LOT of season still left, things might look different come October.
Let’s call this a controlled burn as returning coach Frank Klopas steered the Fire to victory against St. Louis for the second time this week after Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup round of 32, 2–1 match.
And controlled it was as 19-year-old midfielder Brian Gutiérrez put in a commanding performance earning the Player of the Match distinction. Gutiérrez was called up by U.S. under-20 squad by gaffer Mikey Varas for the FIFA U-20 World Cup later this month in Argentina; however, the Fire did not release him or goalkeeper Chris Brady for the tournament, a decision that drew criticism from fans.
Clubs are not required to release players for this tournament and in the Fire’s case, it speaks of the long-term goals for their youngsters – a decision that came with immediate on-pitch results this past weekend.
“[Gutiérrez] right now is at a different level and he can continue, he's going to continue to grow and take more responsibility upon himself. But today, he was incredible,” said Klopas after Chicago’s win.
“Good with the ball, his work rate, key passes, ability to beat players, technical ability – he's got everything in my mind,” continued Klopas. “And you can just see year by year, I've seen him grow and mature even when he was on Fire Academy. He’s really playing like a man now.”
In 89 minutes of play, Gutiérrez won 3/3 dribbles, 2/2 successful crosses, won 11/12 ground duels and 5/5 tackles, drew three fouls, and was effective in 33/45 passes in 67 total touches. Impressive numbers for the youngster who worked offensive and defensive directions with gumption.
Part of Klopas’ success came from shifting veteran star and Switzerland international, Xherdan Shaqiri, to a more central role and putting Gutiérrez out wide left. Klopas, who was an assistant on departed coach Ezra Hendrickson’s staff, sees a value in playing his youth alongside the club’s Designated Player.
“There's ways, but it's only through training,” said Klopas, hinting to fitness issues 31-year-old Shaqiri has had this year. “They're smart players. You can see at moments how easy it is for them to connect and play together, they're on the same wavelength. So, the more time that they stay injury-free, the sharper they will be. And if that happens, I think you can see a big difference in this team."
And again, Klopas’ decisions paid dividends when Gutiérrez drew a foul in the final third at the 40-minute mark and Shaqiri’s free kick connected with Rafael Czicho as he slid in the game’s lone goal.
“Today [Shaqiri] played like a DP, like he should play every game,” Klopas said. “But you can just see it doesn't matter, even with him as a DP, if you don't have games in your legs. It’s hard to really find his rhythm if you don't. You can see with game in and game out now that he's playing games, he's sharper, and he's even gonna get sharper.
“…His work rate today, his numbers, were incredible. And I see him getting stronger with every game that he plays."
In post-game interviews, both Shaqiri and Gutiérrez commented on the “great connection” they felt on the pitch and if properly nurtured, this newfound midfield syncing will factor into how the rest of the campaign goes.
“There's a confidence within the team [because] we have a good team, we have good players,” said Klopas. “And the key is that, when we play in a collective way, everybody shines and that's the one message I've tried to get across. There will be flashes where individuality can take over – Guti has that, Shaqiri has that, we have a lot of guys. But it’s if we can also play with the team together and fight as a team.”
This article was originally published on 90min as Brian Gutiérrez and Xherdan Shaquiri propel Fire to victory over St. Louis.
