Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Brian Sandalow

Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard finding ways to be of assistance

2023-12-11T14:43:18.5-06:00

The Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard battles the Capitals’ Trevor van Riemsdyk for control of the puck during the third period of Sunday’s game.

Paul Beaty/AP

On Sunday night against the Capitals, there were glimpses of Connor Bedard’s special talents. There were also glimpses of where the 18-year-old needs to improve.

Without a goal over the last five games, Bedard still had two assists during the Blackhawks’ 4-2 loss to Washington, and the second assist stood out. Late in the third period with the Hawks down 4-1, Bedard skated down the left side of the attacking zone to a few feet from the goal line and fired a backhand saucer pass through the slot to a wide-open Connor Murphy. Murphy one-timed the feed past Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

“It was really nice,” Murphy said. “I knew I was open, but I didn’t think there was any way he could be on his backhand and get it across.”

To put it mildly, that’s not a pass most players should attempt, let alone complete. Bedard showed, again, he’s different and can create chances that don’t seem obvious.

“As a teammate, it gives you confidence to jump into holes and lanes, knowing a guy is going to find you or make the right play,” Murphy said. “I feel like if it’s someone like me out there skating around, I wouldn’t think my teammates would trust as much for me to [find them and] play it safe. When it’s guys of that caliber, you know that if you make a read to get open, they’re going to find you.”

Bedard has made it clear he’s adept at finding teammates, but he’s still learning how to find the right balance for his shift lengths. And that might’ve cost the Hawks on Sunday.

As the Hawks led 1-0 in the second period, Bedard stayed on the ice for a 93-second shift. Perhaps fatigued from the lengthy stint, which also included Philipp Kurashev’s goal, Bedard couldn’t deter Anthony Mantha from taking a pass and beating Arvid Soderblom to tie the game.

“You have to learn shift length in this league. Sometimes it’s too long,” coach Luke Richardson said. “It’s going to be a learning curve. He’s used to being able to handle that, but Mantha’s a big man, and he has a sneaky, long stride, and if he gets a half-step ahead of you, you’re either taking a penalty on him nowadays or it’s a scoring chance. It ended up being a scoring chance.”

Bedard followed that shift with one that lasted 2:26. On the night, he averaged 1:08 per shift, behind only Seth Jones at 1:09. It’s a learning curve, but one Bedard must figure out as his hyped rookie season rolls on.

“He has to realize that in the NHL, no player is going to play a proper shift two minutes in length and expect to do well at the end of it,” Richardson said. “If you do, you’re cheating out there. I think you need to make sure you’re constantly learning and building yourself up, especially the young players. We give them the information, and hopefully they ingest that and figure that out.”

NOTES: The Hawks put Boris Katchouk on waivers Monday. Katchouk, 25, has been a healthy scratch the past four games. In 17 appearances, he has two goals and two assists.

• The Hawks recalled Filip Roos from Rockford in the AHL and put Jarred Tinordi (concussion protocol) on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 5. Roos has played in 16 games this season for the IceHogs.

Blackhawks lose 4-2 in Connor Bedard’s first game against Alex Ovechkin

2023-12-10T20:33:48.971-06:00

Connor Bedard faced Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals for the first time Sunday night.

Getty

Maybe someday, a young prodigy’s first game against Connor Bedard will be a story, with reporters asking the new phenom how he’ll feel about facing one of the best of an earlier generation.

For now, Bedard is the young prodigy, and in the Blackhawks’ 4-2 loss to the Capitals on Sunday, the superstar veteran he opposed for the first time was Caps captain Alex Ovechkin. On Tuesday, Bedard will line up against players a little closer to his age: the Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

“Just growing up and watching him, it was always him and [Sidney] Crosby battling,” Bedard said. “And, of course, McDavid, what he’s done in the last eight years is obviously remarkable. He’s going to go down as one of the best players ever. Him and Draisaitl, of course it’s pretty exciting.”

Unlike those two, Bedard and Ovechkin aren’t in their prime. Bedard did have a pair of assists Sunday, including when his backhanded, cross-ice pass through the slot found defenseman Connor Murphy to cut the Hawks’ deficit to 4-2 with 1:42 left. He also had the secondary assist on Philipp Kurashev’s goal in the second period that gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

However, winger Anthony Mantha beat Bedard down the ice for the Capitals’ second-period equalizer. And Bedard hasn’t scored a goal of his own since Dec. 2 as he navigates his rookie season. Mantha’s goal was a lesson in the importance of shift length, as Bedard and fellow rookie Alex Vlasic stayed out for too long and were caught in the wrong places on the ice.

“A bigger guy just got his arm in front of [Bedard] and kind of got ahead of him,” Hawks coach Luke Richardson said.

Ovechkin is at the other end of his career. In his visit to the United Center last December, he had a hat trick to reach 800 career goals. This time, he had an assist but stayed stuck on five goals through 25 games.

Whether it’s against a star in his twilight such as Ovechkin or against dominant, modern-day forces such as McDavid and Draisaitl, Bedard doesn’t take the chance to play them for granted.

“Once you’re playing the game, it’s hockey, and you can’t really be thinking about it too much,” Bedard said. “But before the game and going into a faceoff or something, it’s definitely pretty special. I feel pretty fortunate for those opportunities.”

The Hawks had an opportunity to win their third straight game but couldn’t overcome three goals in the second. Murphy bemoaned that the Hawks weren’t sharp dealing with the Capitals’ rushes, and that they lost emotion as the night wore on.

“[They] controlled the first shift of the second, they got physical a little bit, and we didn’t seem to give the same response,” Murphy said.

The Hawks still finished an encouraging 2-1-1 homestand before their swing through Edmonton and Seattle. Winger Nick Foligno thought their identity came out more over the last four games, although he was disappointed not to beat a team that played Saturday and had to travel Sunday.

“Still a long ways to go, but we can rally around the fact that our game is starting to come, and we’re seeing it more and more,” Foligno said. “Especially on the road now, in two tough buildings, we’re going to have to make sure it’s there more than ever.”

Blackhawks looking for Anthony Beauvillier to seize opportunity

2023-12-10T17:14:27.137-06:00

Anthony Beauvillier is getting an opportunity with the Blackhawks, unlike this season in Vancouver.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

In seven-plus years in the NHL, wing Anthony Beauvillier generally has been a dependable scoring option. His career high is 21 goals. Last season, which he split between the Islanders and Canucks, he contributed 18.

He wasn’t nearly as prolific early this season in Vancouver, scoring twice in 22 games before the Blackhawks got him Nov. 28 for a conditional fifth-round pick to help fill the void left by Corey Perry. Regardless of how it came about, the Hawks present an opportunity for Beauvillier that didn’t exist with the Canucks, who have a deep and talented corps of forwards that includes former Hawk Sam Lafferty.

“In Vancouver, they just loaded up — they have a lot of players, and ice time wasn’t there for him,” Hawks coach Luke Richardson said. “Some of their big players are really doing well early in the season, so there was really no power-play time for him there.”

Beauvillier now has one goal in five appearances with the Hawks. Richardson likes his speed and smarts, which should be useful as he gets more comfortable. Beauvillier’s ability to chip the puck forward and retrieve it also adds a different element.

“He’s good at that — putting it in an area where he can use his speed to go get it himself,” Richardson said. “Defensively, he’s very aware, so he’s got a good conscience to play with offensive players but also be in good spots defensively. That’s always a good key to have, for us to use in different spots.”

Bedard’s minutes

Entering Sunday’s game against the Capitals, rookie forward Connor Bedard was fourth on the team and tops among forwards in time on ice, averaging 19:15. But in the Hawks’ previous two games, both at the United Center, his playing time ticked down after exactly 22 minutes on the ice in a 4-3 loss to the Predators. On Thursday against the Ducks, he played 16:10. Two days later against the Blues, he was on the ice for 16:54.

Those numbers aren’t reflective of load management, a punishment or Richardson being displeased with Bedard’s play. Instead, it’s Richardson taking advantage of having the last change at home, preferring to use more experienced players to hold leads against attacking opponents who have pulled their goalies for an extra man.

“He’s not probably going to be part of that equation yet, but he’s a great player, and he has good eye-hand coordination with stick abilities,” Richardson said of Bedard, who was on the ice for 21:34 in Sunday’s loss. “At some point, we’d like him to be involved in that, but right now, that probably plays into ice time as well at the end of the game.”

Granato taking leave from broadcast

NBC Sports Chicago studio analyst Tony Granato announced on social media that he’s taking a “temporary leave of absence” after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He said he’ll begin treatment this week. Granato, a Downers Grove native, is in his first season with NBCSCH.

Not yet

Defenseman Kevin Korchinski missed a second straight game to tend to a family matter. Richardson didn’t have a timetable for his return and didn’t say whether he’d join the Hawks on the upcoming road trip.

• Forward Ryan Donato (illness) skated early Sunday and was feeling better but wasn’t 100% and was held out. Richardson said Donato will be on the trip.

How Ben Lindau overcame a stroke and built a soccer career

2023-10-28T08:00:00-05:00

After suffering a stroke at 11 years old, Ben Lindau used soccer to motivate himself as he went through physical therapy

Roy Miller/ISI Photos

Ben Lindau owes it to himself to be the best soccer player he can be. He also owes it to a younger version of himself.

When he was 11, Lindau woke up in the middle of the night and hit the back of his head on his bed’s headboard. The next day, Lindau went swimming and didn’t feel right.

It turned out he had suffered a stroke. One theory he shared is that hitting the headboard might have caused a bleed on the right size of his brain, and when it scabbed over and broke off during swimming, it blocked blood flow to his brain.

Lindau, who grew up in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood but now lives in New York and works in real estate development, always played sports before the injury and had chosen to focus on soccer when he was in fifth grade. Then after the stroke, he used soccer to motivate himself as he went through physical therapy.

“In a way, it was like the biggest blessing in disguise that I had this taken away from me,” Lindau said. “On top of that, my commitment to the sport is that much stronger just because I know what it’s like not to be able to do it.”

That commitment has taken Lindau far.

Now 24, Lindau will be part of the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team that will play at the Parapan American Games next month in Santiago, Chile. Since 2017, Lindau has been part of the team — which consists of players with cerebral palsy or who have had traumatic brain injuries — and has represented the U.S. at the 2019 and 2022 International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football World Cups. It’s a 7-on-7 game and played on a field slightly smaller than regulation.

Lindau doesn’t take his spot on the team for granted.

“It’s massive,” said Lindau, a central midfielder. “As a little kid playing sports, you always aspire to get to the highest level and representing your country is the pinnacle of that dream. Every opportunity I get to do it means the world to me.”

When he was a junior in high school at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Lindau saw an advertisement for the U.S. Paralympic (now CP) Men’s National Team that was headed to the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Lindau reached out to coach Stuart Sharp and had a trial in December 2016, joining the team the following year.

Since then, Lindau has used much of his spare time to train with the team. He has high hopes for the upcoming tournament, both for himself and the roster as a whole.

And he hopes he’ll once again be making someone else proud.

“You can’t really have an event like this without some reflection,” Lindau said. “I’m not the most sentimental person, but certainly I feel like I’m doing myself justice to my 11-year-old self to have worked this hard to get where I am.”

Fire hope progress carries them into MLS playoffs

2023-10-21T07:59:00-05:00

With a win and some help, the Fire can make the playoffs for the first time in six years.

Courtesy of the Fire

Coach Frank Klopas sees a lot of growth around the Fire.

Before owner Joe Mansueto took over, they were lagging behind their peers. Since then, the Fire (10-13-10, 40 points) have invested heavily in the front office, and money hasn’t been much of an issue for the soccer side of the organization.

There just hasn’t been a playoff berth yet, though that could arrive this weekend.

“We are very close,’’ Klopas said. ‘‘The mission and the goal for the team is to be winning trophies and championships. Getting in the playoffs is the first step, and as a club and a team we haven’t been there in a long time. So that’s the last part, getting the on-field stuff right and bringing in players with quality, but also having that culture and doing whatever it takes for the success of the club.”

But because of their struggles earlier this season, even a victory Saturday at New York City FC might not be enough to make the playoffs.

Entering the last weekend of the regular season, the Fire sit 11th in the Eastern Conference. Only nine teams in the East will advance to the postseason. A victory plus a loss or tie by CF Montreal or the Red Bulls would get the Fire into the playoffs for the first time since 2017. A tie against NYCFC (8-11-14, 38 points) would also be enough if the Crew beat the Red Bulls and Charlotte doesn’t beat Inter Miami.

It’s all very complicated, and it’s something the Fire could’ve avoided with better results early on. There was the slow start under coach Ezra Hendrickson that got him sacked in May, and puzzling results such as the 2-0 loss to Charlotte just days after the emphatic victory against Miami in front of more than 62,000 fans.

Because of those stumbles, the Fire enter the biggest game of the season against NYCFC, which also has a chance to advance, knowing they don’t control their own fate.

“We just have to take care of business, and then we’ll see what happens with the rest,” Klopas said. “But we have to kind of control our situation first, then hopefully some things go our way.”

That’s probably not what most expected to hear four years into the Mansueto project. Mansueto’s purchase in 2019 gave the Fire and their fans legitimate hope that things would turn around.

Though there are still reasons for optimism, the Fire are in playoff contention on the season’s final day for only the second time in four years. In 2020, they narrowly missed out on a playoff field that was expanded because of the pandemic. This year, they’re only alive at the end thanks to the league’s new format that added two teams from each conference but enter Saturday nine points back of the old seventh-place cutoff.

Regardless, making the playoffs would represent a step forward. Getting left out would leave a bruise.

“We are close,” Klopas said. “But if we don’t do it, then we have to take a hard look and see the steps that we have to take, and they are not going to be easy steps in order to get there and be a club that’s consistently there every year.”

Fire need to make changes even if they reach MLS playoffs

2023-10-14T08:00:00-05:00

Fire midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri dominated against Inter Miami, but had little impact against Charlotte.

Nam Y. Huh, AP Photos

Entering this weekend’s limited slate of MLS matches, the Fire have a 23.8% chance to make the playoffs according to sportsclubstats.com. But even if the Fire overcome those long odds to reach the postseason, they shouldn’t celebrate and stand pat this winter.

They need to make changes, and what happened in their most recent game is just more proof that continuity isn’t the answer for the club.

Instead of building off their emphatic 4-1 victory against Inter Miami at a sold-out Soldier Field, the Fire laid an egg three days later against Charlotte FC. With their playoff fate in their own hands, the Fire fell 2-0 and were the second-best team on the field against a side beneath them in the Eastern Conference standings.

“It was again a final for us,” midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring the performance we wanted. Charlotte played with more intensity today and they had a really good game plan where they did very well and they scored two goals [on] two chances.”

Number of chances aside, Shaqiri’s point about intensity is an indictment of the Fire.

With two games remaining, the Fire couldn’t afford to come out flat. True, the outside hype around the Inter Miami match was absent for Charlotte but that doesn’t excuse what the Fire did and didn’t do on a night that was just as important in the standings.

“I like to play, always, on Saturday and Wednesdays,” Shaqiri said. “You have to show up in these games, and unfortunately today, we couldn’t match the intensity especially of Charlotte. They were really on their toes and they made it really difficult.”

Players like Shaqiri and other big earners are the ones who should be expected to carry a team on off nights. That didn’t occur against Charlotte.

Shaqiri, the highest-paid player on the Fire and one of the best-compensated players in league history, rose to the occasion in front of 62,124 fans who were hoping to see Lionel Messi suit up with Inter Miami. In that game, Shaqiri scored twice, had three shot attempts and connected on 82.8% of his passes.

“I don’t know, maybe he needs 60,000 fans every game to perform like this,” coach Frank Klopas said after the Inter Miami game. “I mean for him, it’s a big stage and I think he always, you know, big players perform on big stages. And he knew what was at stake today.”

Against Charlotte and with plenty still on the line, Shaqiri had just one shot and completed 70.3% of his passes. Shaqiri, however, hasn’t been the only big-money attacker who can be called a culprit, as young designated player Jairo Torres has only one assist and hasn’t figured out how to stay healthy. Kacper Przybylko has four goals in 954 minutes and hasn’t started a league match since June 21.

Yet with a win in next week’s season finale at New York City FC and a little help, the Fire can sneak into the bottom of the East playoffs.

“We have to go there like it’s a final over there,” midfielder Brian Gutierrez said. “We have to go for those three points because that’s a playoff spot obviously.”

Grabbing that playoff spot shouldn’t be celebrated. It should only be a prelude to a different roster.

Fire know winning the best way to lure back fans from record crowd

2023-10-07T08:00:00-05:00

The Fire drew a franchise-record 62,124 fans to Soldier Field on Wednesday night, and hope many of them return when they aren’t buying tickets to see Lionel Messi.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

There was one thing Fire captain Rafael Czichos didn’t love about the record crowd of 62,124 on Wednesday night.

“Too many pink jerseys, actually,” Czichos said.

Pink is the color of Inter Miami and now Lionel Messi, the soccer legend who was the event’s biggest draw but didn’t play due to injury. Hopefully for Czichos, they converted some of the pink-clad customers into Fire fans who will don the home team’s colors at future games.

“When you live in Chicago or in the Chicago area, and you are interested in soccer then you should support your home club,” Czichos said. “I don’t think that all of the people wearing pink were from Miami today so I hope that they’ll be there on Saturday [against Charlotte FC] or next season with a different color.”

As Czichos and everybody else with the Fire knows, there hasn’t been much reason for casual fans to jump on the team’s bandwagon. They haven’t reached the playoffs since 2017, and haven’t advanced since 2009. Over that time, the Fire have drifted from the city’s sports consciousness.

Getting back to the playoffs this year — and the chances for that look good with two games left — would be a good step forward for the Fire. Entering Saturday’s match against Charlotte, the Fire (10-12-10, 40 points) sit eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of ninth-place CF Montreal and New York City FC in 10th.

But to truly build off Wednesday and turn many of the night’s customers into fans, postseason bids cannot be a rare occurrence.

“How do you follow up? You have to win,” coach Frank Klopas said. “You have to continue to win. We have to be a team that’s going to be in the playoffs, not just once every six or seven, eight years. This city is built on winning and the fans want to see winners. I think it’s important that we’re a team that, yeah, our goal should be the playoffs because that gives you an opportunity to win championships. And we need to be a team that’s consistently there every year — and that’s how you get the fans.”

The Fire fans that have stuck around over the past decade have had their loyalty tested with both on-field struggles and off-field hiccups. A few supporters behind the south goal used the occasion Wednesday to voice their frustration with the team, displaying a banner that read “FIX IT, JOE.” imploring owner Joe Mansueto to improve the product.

On Wednesday, the product looked pretty good as the Fire players faced pressure on two fronts: to win and boost their playoff chances, and to play well enough to maybe create new fans.

Make no mistake, the Fire were aware of the second challenge.

“There’s a lot of fans here that we wanted to win over tonight and we wanted to do that with a complete performance and leave it all out there and make the city proud,” defender Wyatt Omsberg said. “Whether you’re our fans or whether you’re a Messi fan coming to watch Miami play [or] whatever it is, we wanted to leave a good mark on this game. I feel like we put in a complete performance. Hopefully we made the fans proud and earned some new fans tonight.”

Lionel Messi sits out 4-1 Fire win over Inter Miami

2023-10-04T18:50:51.589-05:00

Lionel Messi was ruled out of Wednesday’s match against the Fire.

Getty

About 50 minutes before Wednesday’s match against the Fire at Soldier Field, Inter Miami officially released its lineup. As expected, Lionel Messi was not listed, meaning a Fire-record announced crowd of 62,124 didn’t see the player widely considered the greatest in the history of soccer.

The news, while expected, was still disappointing for fans such as Vianey Hernandez. Though Hernandez is a soccer fan living in Skokie who follows the Fire, she made it clear with her Argentina national team jersey who she was there to see.

“It’s unfortunate and it sucks [Messi isn’t playing], but soccer is soccer,” said Hernandez, who paid $600 for two tickets. “You kind of just go with it and deal with it. Hopefully there’s another time to see him play. It might not be here, but I’m willing to go see him.”

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Even without Messi, a lot of people were still willing to see this match, which the Fire won 4-1 to move into playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Messi, 36, was ruled out by Miami due to a lingering leg injury and did not travel to Chicago. Though he practiced apart from the team Tuesday to provide at least some hope he’d play, Messi missed his fifth Inter Miami game out of the last six.

The seating bowl at Soldier Field was well over three-quarters full, albeit with more than a few people wearing Messi, Inter Miami, Barcelona or Argentina gear. The fans did make plenty of noise, the most coming when Xherdan Shaqiri and Maren Haile-Selassie scored their two goals apiece in the second half. Before the game, there was a vibrant activation outside the stadium, one that included a goat in reference to people calling Messi “The GOAT.”

Once inside, patrons were handed light-up bracelets and saw a brief halftime concert from rapper Lil Durk. Mayor Brandon Johnson was on the field before the game, and Chicago native Brendan Hunt, best known as Coach Beard from “Ted Lasso,” sat by the pitch.

Celebrities, singers and politicians can be draws, but the Fire also appealed to people’s wallets to get them to Soldier Field. A lot of those wallets were considerably lighter because of the inflated prices to see Messi.

To create an incentive for customers to still turn out and maybe create new supporters, the Fire gave single-match fans who showed up either a $250 credit toward a 2024 season ticket or a $50 credit that can be used for any game next year. Those deals, plus all of the peripherals around the match, were hoped to entice people to come back for less-glitzy events.

Hernandez, however, wasn’t thinking about that deal as she processed the news about Messi.

“Everyone is here to see a World Cup champion play,” Hernandez said. “At the talent level that Messi plays, it would have been nice if we could see him play.”

Like Hernandez, Michael Sengullu of Downers Grove was disappointed but not surprised that Messi wasn’t around. Once Messi started missing games a few weeks back, Sengullu had a hunch Messi might not appear in Chicago.

He had been so excited about seeing Messi at Soldier Field, Sengullu bought a 2024 season ticket that came with a pass to Wednesday’s match. He said Messi was 95% of the reason he bought the ticket for next year.

“I probably will enjoy [the game],” Sengullu said. “I love [soccer] nonetheless, but it won’t be as much as I would have if Messi was playing.”

Messi or no Messi, Fire using Inter Miami match to entice new fans

2023-10-03T11:49:46.791-05:00

Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino wouldn’t say if Lionel Messi would play against the Fire at Soldier Field on Wednesday.

Ryan Sun/AP

Struggling with a leg injury, Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi is questionable for the game against the Fire on Wednesday night at Soldier Field (7:30 p.m., Apple TV+).

Still, even without Messi on the field, the occasion can be a big one for the Fire franchise.

In a statement Tuesday, the Fire announced they have distributed more than 61,000 tickets for the game. If Messi does not suit up, it will be disappointing to many of the fans who paid increased prices in hopes of seeing him. Messi, 36, has missed four of Inter Miami’s previous five games, and there has been speculation that he won’t play much the rest of the season.

The Fire, however, are hoping those customers still come to Soldier Field if Messi doesn’t. And they’re providing an incentive to hopefully make them return for less glitzy occasions, giving fans who show up a $250 credit toward a 2024 season ticket or a $50 credit that can be used toward any game next year regardless of whether Messi plays. The team also is touting a “surprise halftime performance.”

“While we don’t yet know the official status of Lionel Messi’s availability for our match tomorrow, as there’s never a guarantee that an athlete will play on any given night due to several factors, we understand that many of our fans may be disappointed if they don’t get the chance to see him play,” the Fire said in a statement Tuesday. “We realize that there will be many in attendance who are coming to a Chicago Fire match at Soldier Field for the first time, and we’re excited to welcome them to the Fire family and give them an opportunity to become long-term fans by creating a wonderful, fan-focused atmosphere.”

Coach Frank Klopas also sees the night’s significance. And to him, Inter Miami won’t be the only team on the field with players worth watching.

“It’s an opportunity for us to showcase the quality and the players that we have,” Klopas said. “It’s an opportunity to take advantage of a moment like this and get people that maybe come once or twice a year to games, games like this, where they can say: Hey, this was an exciting game and a great team, really exciting team; it was an exciting game, so why not buy season tickets next year? Moments like this, you have to take advantage of.”

The Fire also have a change they can take advantage of, sitting tied with CF Montreal and D.C. United for the ninth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with three games left, though Montreal owns the tiebreaker for that playoff berth. Even if Messi is absent, Inter Miami has players the Fire need to be wary of, including former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets and 2018 league MVP Josef Martinez.

Those guys, though, aren’t Messi.

“I can compare, let’s just say the Bulls; when Michael Jordan didn’t play, they still had a very good team,” said Klopas, referring to the 1993-94 and most of the 1994-95 NBA seasons. “But then you had Michael Jordan, and maybe then they win eight [titles] in a row. So I think Miami is still a very, very good team with some excellent players, but you have icing on the cake that if Messi plays, he’s that one player that will always give you that edge. At any moment, he can make a play and win the game for them.”

Lionel Messi can boost the Fire, even if he doesn’t play at Soldier Field

2023-09-30T08:00:00-05:00

Lionel Messi has already made a huge impact on MLS, which could eventually help the Fire.

CHRIS ARJOON, Getty

Whether or not he appears at Soldier Field, Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi will give the Fire a boost. What happens afterward will determine if it was a blip or a key point in the franchise’s rebirth.

The game Wednesday night is one of the most anticipated regular-season events in Fire history. Even though it’s a midweek game — weekend games have better attendance — the matchup is expected to draw one of the biggest crowds in Fire and MLS history. The Fire hope the game can turn casual soccer fans eager to see Messi into supporters of their club who will turn out for games that don’t feature the greatest soccer player of all time and some of his old pals from Barcelona.

Making those people Fire fans will come down to more than a one-night engagement with Messi. But Messi joining MLS has been a boon for the league, something that could benefit the Fire in ways besides goosing their average attendance.

Under owner Joe Mansueto, the Fire haven’t done much winning. If they reach the playoffs this season (for the first time in his four full seasons of ownership), it will be as one of the lowest Eastern Conference seeds in the first year of an expanded postseason format. Since the start of the 2020 season, the Fire have gone through two permanent coaches and are expected to look for another before the 2024 season kicks off.

One thing the Fire have done is spend Mansueto’s money. The Fire have invested in the club’s infrastructure and paid for improvements to SeatGeek Stadium’s training facilities, and they’re spending heavily on the new, albeit controversial, practice center.

Of course, they’ve been eager to write checks to help the first team, even if many of their expenditures haven’t worked out. Xherdan Shaqiri is one of the league’s highest-paid players ever, and the Fire haven’t been afraid to open their wallets for designated players and others a tier under who require targeted allocation money.

With Messi in Miami, money is flowing, and there’s speculation MLS will add a fourth DP spot for teams to use, along with loosening some of the league’s restrictive salary regulations. Mansueto has argued for liberalizing some of the league’s rules, and it would be surprising if he didn’t try to take advantage if MLS relaxes its bylaws.

Regardless, Mansueto and the Fire should find a new sporting director who can identify and recruit top-end talent. Current sporting director Georg Heitz has attempted to swim in that deep water but hasn’t succeeded, and it’s hard to see him coming back for a fifth season to get yet another try.

A shrewd sporting director combined with Mansueto’s money and passion to win has the chance to transform the Fire. If Mansueto is allowed to splash more cash thanks to Messi’s presence in MLS, the Fire’s chances would increase further.

If they’re successful and capitalize on the Messi-era MLS, the Fire won’t need a visiting player to bring in new customers.