The 2020 Chicago Fire FC season was the club's 22nd year of existence, as well as their 23rd in Major League Soccer. This was the Fire's first full year under the ownership of Joe Mansueto following his purchase of the club on September 13, 2019. This was also the Fire's first season back in city limits, playing in Soldier Field for the first time since 2005. The Fire faced Atlanta United FC in their first home match. The team also announced a rebrand on November 21, 2019. They became known as Chicago Fire Football Club (Chicago Fire FC) and changed their logo. The change was met with large amounts of negative reaction on social media. The Fire failed to advance out of the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament. After finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference, the team did not qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Current squad As of March 6, 2020. Sources: Chicago Fire official roster and Official MLS Roster
No. Name Nationality Position Date of birth (age) Previous club Player Notes 1 Bobby Shuttleworth G Sacramento Republic 2 Boris Sekulić D Górnik Zabrze International3 Jonathan Bornstein D Maccabi Netanya F.C. 4 Johan Kappelhof D FC Groningen 5 Francisco Calvo D Minnesota United FC 6 Miguel Navarro D Deportivo La Guaira F.C. International 7 Ignacio Aliseda M Defensa y Justicia InternationalDesignated Player 8 Luka Stojanović M } FK Čukarički International 9 C. J. Sapong F Philadelphia Union 10 Álvaro Medrán M Valencia CF International11 Przemysław Frankowski M Jagiellonia Białystok International 13 Brandt Bronico M Charlotte 49ers 14 Djordje Mihailovic M Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown 16 Michael Azira M Montreal Impact 18 Kenneth Kronholm G Holstein Kiel 20 Wyatt Omsberg D Minnesota United FC 21 Fabian Herbers F Philadelphia Union 22 Mauricio Pineda D/M North Carolina Tar Heels Homegrown 24 Connor Sparrow G Nashville SC 25 Nicholas Slonina D Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown 27 Robert Berić F AS Saint-Étienne InternationalDesignated Player 28 Elliot Collier F Loyola Chicago 30 Gastón Giménez M Vélez Sarsfield InternationalDesignated Player 32 Gabriel Slonina G Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown 33 Jeremiah Gutjahr M Indiana Hoosiers Homegrown 36 Andre Reynolds II D Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown — Chris Brady G Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown — Javier Casas M Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown — Brian Gutiérrez M Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown — Alex Monis F Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown — Allan Rodríguez M Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown
Player movement
In DatePlayerPositionPrevious clubNotesRefOctober 10, 2019 Álvaro Medrán M Valencia CF Signed a TAM contract as a free agent through 2021 with options for 2022 and 2023 October 14, 2019 Michael Azira M Chicago Fire FC Nelson announced that his option was exercised during a media roundtable October 14, 2019 Jeremiah Gutjahr D/M Chicago Fire FC Nelson announced that his option was exercised during a media roundtable October 14, 2019 Fabian Herbers M/F Chicago Fire FC Nelson announced that his option was exercised during a media roundtable November 21, 2019 Raheem Edwards D/M Chicago Fire FC Option was exercised November 21, 2019 C. J. Sapong M/F Chicago Fire FC Option was exercised December 20, 2019 Nicholas Slonina D Chicago Fire Academy Signed as a homegrown player for the 2020 season with options through 2023 January 17, 2020 Mauricio Pineda D/M North Carolina Tar Heels Signed as a homegrown player for the 2020 season with options through 2023 January 18, 2020 Robert Berić F AS Saint-Étienne Signed to a designated player contract through 2021 with an option for 2022 January 20, 2020 Connor Sparrow GK Nashville SC Signed for 2020 with options for 2021 and 2022 January 27, 2020 Miguel Navarro D Deportivo La Guaira F.C. Transferred from Deportivo La Guaira F.C. for an undisclosed amount on a contract through 2022 with options for 2023 and 2024 January 30, 2020 Bobby Shuttleworth GK Sacramento Republic Signed as a free agent to a contract through 2021 February 6, 2020 Elliot Collier F Chicago Fire FC Signed after his contract was declined and after a successful trial February 11, 2020 Wyatt Omsberg D Minnesota United FC Acquired from Minnesota in exchange for Raheem Edwards Chicago Fire FC Acquires Defender Wyatt Omsberg from Minnesota United FC | Chicago Fire FCFebruary 15, 2020 Boris Sekulić D Górnik Zabrze Acquired from Górnik Zabrze on a contract through 2022 February 19, 2020 Ignacio Aliseda M Defensa y Justicia Acquired from Defensa y Justicia as a Designated Player on a contract through 2023 February 20, 2020 Luka Stojanović M FK Čukarički Acquired from FK Čukarički on a contract through 2021 with an option for 2022 February 24, 2020 Gastón Giménez M Vélez Sarsfield Acquired from Velez Sarsfield as a Designated Player on a contract through 2021 with an option for 2022 March 9, 2020 Brian Gutiérrez M Chicago Fire Academy Signed as a homegrown player through the 2023 season with an option for 2024 March 10, 2020 Javier Casas M Chicago Fire Academy Signed as a homegrown player through the 2023 season with an option for 2024 March 11, 2020 Alex Monis F Chicago Fire Academy Signed as a homegrown player through the 2023 season with an option for 2024 March 24, 2020 Chris Brady G Chicago Fire Academy Signed as a homegrown player through the 2023 season with an option for 2024 March 25, 2020 Allan Rodríguez M Chicago Fire Academy Signed as a homegrown player through the 2023 season with an option for 2024
Out DatePlayerPositionDestination ClubNotesRefOctober 8, 2019 Bastian Schweinsteiger D/M Retired October 12, 2019 Nemanja Nikolić F Fehérvár FC Out of contract November 12, 2019 Dax McCarty M Nashville SC Traded in exchange for $50k in TAM and $50k in GAM November 14, 2019 Grant Lillard D Inter Miami CF Traded in exchange for $75k in GAM November 21, 2019 Diego Campos M FK Jerv Option declined November 21, 2019 Stefan Cleveland GK Seattle Sounders FC Option declined; rights traded to Seattle alongside Chicago's 35th overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft in exchange for Seattle's 26th overall pick November 21, 2019 Nicolás Gaitán M LOSC Lille Option declined November 21, 2019 Aleksandar Katai M/F LA Galaxy Option declined November 21, 2019 Cristian Martínez M Cádiz CF Option declined November 21, 2019 Amando Moreno M/F New Mexico United Option declined November 21, 2019 David Ousted GK Hammarby Fotboll Option declined November 21, 2019 Richard Sánchez GK Sporting Kansas City Option declined; picked up in Round 1 of the 2019 MLS Re-Entry Draft January 14, 2020 Marcelo DF F.C. Paços de Ferreira Mutual Termination February 11, 2020 Raheem Edwards D/M Minnesota United FC Traded to Minnesota in exchange for Wyatt Omsberg
Unsigned trialists and draftees Date first reportedPlayerPositionPrevious clubNotesRefJanuary 9, 2020 Jonathan Jimenez D/M Pacific Tigers Drafted with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft January 27, 2020 Jonathan Campbell D Seattle Sounders FC Announced as a trialist in Florida; confirmed to have left on February 16 January 27, 2020 Nikos Kenourgios D/F S.V. Zulte Waregem Announced as a trialist in Florida; confirmed to have left on February 16 January 27, 2020 Jesús Vázquez D Atlante F.C. Announced as a trialist in Florida February 16, 2020 Christian Diaz D Forward Madison FC Announced as a trialist on February 16 The Fire also had several academy players in the camp- Chris Brady (G), Javier Casas (M), Brian Gutierrez (M), Alex Monis (F), and Allan Rodriguez (M).
Technical staff
Standings
Eastern Conference table
Overall table
MLS is Back – group stage
Match results
Preseason
Major League Soccer Due to changes in the schedule, this will be the first season where the Fire don't face every club in the league (three clubs in the Western Conference). They did not compete against Real Salt Lake. Kickoff times are in CST (UTC-06)
MLS is Back Tournament
Open Cup
Kickoff times are in CST (UTC-06)
Squad statistics
Games played NameMLSOpen CupTotalStartsMinutesStartsMinutesStartsMinutes1GKBobby Shuttleworth2DFBoris Sekulić3DFJonathan Bornstein119011904DFJohan Kappelhof119011905DFFrancisco Calvo119011906DMiguel Navarro7MFIgnacio Aliseda8MFLuka Stojanović9FWC. J. Sapong10MFÁlvaro Medrán1190119011MFPrzemysław Frankowski1190119013MFBrandt Bronico1190119014MFDjordje Mihailovic1170117016MFMichael Azira191918GKKenneth Kronholm1190119020DFWyatt Omsberg21FWFabian Herbers1181118122DF/MFMauricio Pineda1190119024GKConnor Sparrow25DFNicholas Slonina28FWElliot Collier12012027FWRobert Berić1190119030MFGastón Giménez32GKGabriel Slonina33MFJeremiah Gutjahr36DFAndre Reynolds III—GKChris Brady—MFJavier Casas—MFBrian Gutiérrez—FWAlex Monis—MFAllan Rodríguez
Goalkeeping statistics NameMLSOpen CupTotalClean sheetsSavesClean sheetsSavesClean sheetsSaves1Bobby Shuttleworth18Kenneth Kronholm424224Connor Sparrow32Gabriel Slonina—Chris Brady
Goalscoring and assisting record
MLS Regular Season RankPlayer
Open Cup RankPlayer
MLS regular season RankPlayer1 Robert Berić1
Cards
MLS Regular Season RankPlayerMatches Missed1 Fabian Herbers1
Open Cup RankPlayerMatches Missed
Totals RankPlayerMatches Missed
Note: Italics indicates a player who left during the season
Player awards
Fire awards Man of the Match awards Game #PlayerPositionNotable StatisticsReference1 Robert BerićFW1 G2345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Note: Italics indicates player left after his first call up
National team call-ups
Francisco Calvo 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A Match vs Haiti, October 10 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A Match vs Curaçao, October 13 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A Match vs Haiti, November 14 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A Match vs Curaçao, November 17
Elliot Collier Friendly vs Republic of Ireland, November 14 Friendly vs Lithuania, November 17
Cristian Martínez 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A Match vs Mexico, November 15 Friendly vs Bolivia, November 19
Przemysław Frankowski Euro 2020 Qualifying Match vs Latvia, October 10 Euro 2020 Qualifying Match vs North Macedonia, October 13 Euro 2020 Qualifying Match vs Israel, November 16 Euro 2020 Qualifying Match vs Slovenia, November 19
Michael Azira 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group B Match vs Burkina Faso, November 13 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group B Match vs Malawi, November 17
United StatesU-23 TeamDjordje Mihailovic Friendly vs El Salvador, October 15 United International Football Festival Semifinal Match vs Brazil, November 14 United International Football Festival Third Place Match or Final vs United Gran Canaria, November 17 U-20 TeamAndre Reynolds II Friendly vs Mexico U-20, January 16 Friendly vs Mexico U-20, January 18 U-17 TeamGabriel Slonina UEFA Development Tournament match vs Spain, February 19 UEFA Development Tournament match vs England, February 21 UEFA Development Tournament match vs Denmark, February 24 U-16 TeamGabriel Slonina 2019 NIKE International Friendly vs Netherlands, November 14 2019 NIKE International Friendly vs US U-17, November 16 2019 NIKE International Friendly vs Turkey, November 18
Note: Italics indicates player left after his first call up
References
External links