MLS NEXT Pro Chicago Fire FC II

Chicago Fire FC Weekly Update: on the Road vs. Red Bulls, Fire II Clinch Playoff Berth, and Herbers HOF Induction

Published on September 25, 2023 under MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Chicago Fire FC II News Release


Coming off a 2-2 draw against the New England Revolution on Saturday, Chicago Fire FC (8-12-10, 34 points) will travel to face the New York Red Bulls (8-12-10, 34 points) on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. The match will be broadcast live and available to fans for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Additionally, the match will be transmitted locally in English on wlsam.com and in Spanish on TUDN 1200 AM.

Heading into the Big Apple, the Fire will face the Red Bulls for the 67th time since Chicago's inaugural season in 1998. Since their inception in MLS, the Fire have an all-time regular season record of 30-21-15 against their Eastern Conference foe. This match holds a lot of weight for the two sides, with both teams sporting the exact same record. As it stands, the Fire and Red Bulls are sitting three points below the playoff line with a game in-hand on New York City FC (9th place) and D.C. United (10th place).

Saturday marks the second and final contest between the two sides in the 2023 regular season. The last time the two Clubs met was on April 29, when the match resulted in a 1-1 draw at Soldier Field. Veteran striker Kei Kamara scored the lone goal and his fourth of the season off a beautiful feed into the box from defender Arnaud Souquet.

CHICAGO FIRE FC II CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH!

Chicago Fire FC II drew 2-2 against Huntsville City FC on MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day to clinch a spot in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. The tie was enough to secure sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 43 points. With the playoff berth, it will mark Chicago Fire FC II's first time in the postseason since the league's inception in 2022.

The match saw the Fire trail early, before speedy Guyanese winger Omari Glasgow equalized three minutes later off a feed from midfielder Billy Hency. Then in the 25th minute, Glasgow returned the favor by assisting in Hency's eighth goal of the season to give Chicago the lead. With his eighth goal of the campaign, Hency claimed the Fire II golden boot for the 2023 season.

Huntsville tied it up in the 36th minute and looked poised to take the lead in the 50th minute when referee Adam Kilpatrick pointed to the penalty spot. Azaad Liadi lined up to take the kick, sending the attempt over the crossbar. Goalkeeper Mihajlo Mišković guided the Fire to fulltime to help clinch their spot in the postseason. In the penalty shootout, the Serbian netminder picked up two saves to give Chicago the extra point and the sixth seed in the standings.

This season, MLS NEXT Pro will be following a "Pick Your Opponent" format for the postseason. The League will formally announce the playoff matchups on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

FABIAN HERBERS INDUCTED INTO CREIGHTON HALL OF FAME!

Creighton University announced that current Chicago Fire FC midfielder Fabian Herbers was inducted into the University's athletic Hall of Fame!

Herbers, 30, was a member of the Bluejays for three seasons from 2013-2015. In his time with the Big East conference side, he recorded 28 goals and 29 assists in 61 total appearances with the University. His efforts led him to claiming Big East Offensive Player of the Year on two occassions, as well as First Team All-American honors. The German midfielder also recorded a nation-high 47 points in his final season with the Bluejays en route to an appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2015.

After being selected sixth overall in the 2016 SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union, Herbers joined Chicago Fire FC in exchange for a second round pick in 2019. Herbers is currently the longest tenured member of the Club, recording 12 goals and six assists in a Fire uniform.

In 2023, Herbers tied his single season career high in goals with his fourth of the season in the 1-0 victory over Nashville SC on July 8 at Soldier Field. Additionally, Herbers recorded his 100th career appearance in a Fire uniform on May 6 against Nashville SC.

Congratulations on your induction, Fabi!

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