Nashville SC v Chicago Fireplace: Berhalter disenchanted with guests´ type
Following a giant loss at house to FC Cincinnati final weekend, Chicago Fireplace head coach Gregg Berhalter has admitted that his facet weren’t up to speed.
Chicago misplaced 3-2 to a high-flying Cincinnati facet which have climbed as much as second place within the Japanese Convention standings.
Evander starred with two objectives, whereas Kevin Denkey offered one other to seal the win. Regardless of Hugo Cuypers and Brian Gutierrez getting on the scoresheet, it was a difficult outing for Chicago, who discover themselves in eighth place within the Japanese Convention, one level exterior the highest seven.
Evander scored after simply 9 minutes, although Cuypers levelled shortly after. Denkey then edged Cincinnati in entrance, and Evander added additional gloss. Gutierrez lowered the deficit from 12 yards out within the dying minutes, but it surely was by no means sufficient to conjure hopes of a comeback.
Reflecting on the match, Berhalter admitted that it was a disappointing efficiency from his facet.
“I feel it was an especially disappointing efficiency from the group,” the previous USMNT coach stated, as he seems to be to select his facet up for this week’s go to to Nashville SC.
“We talked about carrying momentum, carrying the identical kind of depth that we confirmed up with final week and I didn’t really feel like we did that.
“We are able to discuss all we would like, you recognize, pre-match and through the week about what kind of staff we need to be, however now it’s about going out on the pitch and doing it.
“And I don’t really feel like we introduced sufficient, and in reality, we didn’t should win that sport.”
The sights and sounds of coaching @EndeavorHlth | #cf97 pic.twitter.com/ndfCJLRG0V
— Chicago Fireplace FC (@ChicagoFire) April 24, 2025
Nashville, in the meantime, are coming off a equally bruising consequence: a 3-0 loss away to the Seattle Sounders final Saturday.
Danny Musovski, Pedro de la Vega and Paul Rothrock scored inside 15 first-half minutes to place Seattle within the driver’s seat, with B.J. Callaghan’s facet struggling their fourth lack of the season.
Callaghan rued an absence of composure from Sam Surridge and Ahmed Qasem in that sport, with each gamers squandering good possibilities to cut back the margin of defeat.
Nashville noticed their six-game MLS scoring streak halted with that loss, putting them sixth within the Japanese Convention standings.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar has scored six profession objectives in 5 regular-season matches towards Chicago.
Mukhtar’s 1.5 objectives per 90 minutes towards Chicago ranks because the sixth highest by any participant towards a single opponent in MLS historical past (with a minimal of 350 minutes performed).
Chicago Fireplace – Jonathan Bamba
Bamba recorded his fifth help in his ninth profession match for Chicago on Saturday, organising Cuypers for the equaliser within the thirty first minute.
He’s the fourth participant in Fireplace historical past to document 5 assists earlier than his tenth look for the membership, becoming a member of Patrick Doody, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Piotr Nowak.
Weekend soccer on our thoughts pic.twitter.com/olhF6HDW7D
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) April 24, 2025
MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE WIN
Nashville have misplaced solely one in all seven all-time conferences with Chicago (W4 D2), together with successful three of 4 at house (D1), outscoring the Fireplace 10-2 in these 4 conferences in Tennessee.
Present type is a priority for Nashville although, having misplaced three of their final 4 matches (W1) after shedding solely one in all their first 5 this season (W3 D1).
Nashville have allowed eight objectives over the course of the final 4 matches, after conceding simply three of their first 5 matches of the season.
Chicago have some good attacking type to take confidence from. Berhalter’s facet have scored 16 objectives this season, tied for third most in MLS (San Jose 19, Vancouver 17).
That is essentially the most Chicago have scored by way of 9 matches of a season since netting 17 occasions of their first 9 matches in 2014, however they’re outsiders on their travels.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville SC – 51.8%
Draw – 24.6%
Chicago Fireplace – 23.6%
