Chicago Fire Roster Overhaul: Key Departures and New Beginnings Under Gregg Berhalter
While the 2024 MLS Playoffs have just begun, the Chicago Fire roster has already changed and they are already looking towards next season. This year was a disaster for Chicago. They not only missed the postseason for the 11th time in 12 years, they finished in last place in the Eastern Conference. It was another new low for a club that seemingly keeps digging deeper and deeper.
However, they’ve quickly pivoted towards the future. They announced the hiring of former United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter, making him their new head coach and technical director. That has reinvigorated the fanbase, who are now excited to see what sort of magic he can create. He’s not Georg Heitz, at least.
The offseason has already begun, with the Fire announcing their year-end roster decisions. While those moves aren’t usually too notable, there’s some meat to this bone.
Two big departures for the Chicago Fire Roster
Chicago have said goodbye to two of their German cult heroes. Up first was Rafael Czichos. The centerback made the jump overseas ahead of the 2022 season, and he was an impact player from day one. The Fire didn’t concede in any of his first three appearances.
While the rest of the backline couldn’t keep up that stunning pace, Czichos stayed consistent. He quickly proved to be one of the better defenders in the entire league, and his signing had become quite the coup. He even added goals to his game at one point with a run of three goals in four games.
The following season was more of the same. Captaining the side on almost every occasion, the Bremen boy was someone who they could rely on with any partner at the back, especially Carlos Teran. One of the highlights of his tenure came when he scored the winner in a derby day contest against new rivals St Louis City.
However, the writing was starting to appear on the wall. Czichos was losing a step. It wasn’t his fault, as he was 33 years old at the time, but it was affecting his performance. He wasn’t as dominant, and the mistakes were starting to creep in.
That carried into this year. He was stripped of the captain’s armband, and he wasn’t one of the first names on the teamsheet anymore. The number 5 was a staple of the backline, sure, but he was someone who needed help more than he was someone who would help others on the pitch. He just wasn’t the same anymore.
Czichos was left out of the team entirely for four games during the final stretch. At that point it was pretty obvious what was coming. He got two more starts under his belt before a final day cameo, which allowed supporters to say farewell before the news was official.
Now, it’s not like he had become a bad defender. He was able to do a job when called upon, and the Fire have certainly had their fair share of worse options. However, Czichos wasn’t going to be a mainstay anymore, and considering his stature and salary, it didn’t really make sense to keep him on board as a backup. Shake hands, say thank you, and let him move on as you move on from him.
While his departure was expected, the other was not. Fabian Herbers had been Chicago’s longest-tenured player. He had been around since the old logo. No, the other old logo.
Joining via trade at the end of 2018, Herbers was brought in to be a bit of attacking depth. He was someone that knew MLS, and knew how to find the back of the net in this league. The player was a short-term solution.
Few would’ve expected him to stick around for so long and to make so many memories. Herbers never had an impressive season on the stat sheet, and his highest goal-contribution tally was only seven, which actually came this year. His impact went far beyond it, though.
When the Chicago Fire moved to Soldier Field going into 2020, the German became the man of the house early on. He scored four goals in the first five home games of the campaign, grabbing the headlines time and time again. Those proved to be his only strikes that season.
He had another strong start to life in 2022, this time helping on the other side of the field. Herbers was utilized as a left winger, and his willingness to track back helped his team only concede once in their opening five matches. It wasn’t the most beautiful football, but it was effective.
This workrate led to a shift in his position. Instead of being a part of the front three, he was moved deeper, often featuring in midfield. He wasn’t as talented as others, sure, but he made up for it with his intelligence, effort, and willingness to do the dirty work.
Herbers gained the trust of head coach Ezra Hendrickson, and he maintained it when Frank Klopas took over the reins. He was ol’ reliable. You want a solid 7 or better out of 10 match rating? He’s your guy. The only issue would be the occasional yellow card.
That peaked when the German was given the captain’s armband midway through this campaign. He didn’t keep it, but he still had a solid run with it nonetheless. He also notched one last goal on the penultimate matchday.
While Herbers wasn’t in the squad for the final game, his release is still a bit surprising. He’s been someone who the team often utilized, especially in times of need. He didn’t have a big ego, didn’t have a big salary, and he didn’t even have to start consistently.
Chicago had a consummate professional on their hands, and they’ve decided to move on from him. The midfielder did turn 31 a few months ago, so the plan is likely to find someone younger instead. If they can pick up a suitable replacement in that regard then it’s a clever move, but the pressure is on to make that signing. There aren’t many players around like Herbers.
It’s like getting rid of your backup charger you’ve had for several years. Sure, you don’t absolutely need it, and you can always buy another one, but there might come a time where it would be really nice to have.
Lesser-known names are allowed to leave
Three other names were also let go, but there’s less to talk about when it comes to them.
Spencer Richey has been the Fire’s backup for several years now. He’s been the epitome of an American second-string keeper in MLS. He was an asset in training, was someone the younger players could learn from, and he could also step in and start on the occasions he had to.
His track record was pretty average. He had some excellent moments, like when he featured in a fun road win away to FC Cincinnati. He had some rough moments, like when he conceded from midfield against the Columbus Crew in stoppage time.
Richey was a solid option, but Chicago’s aiming for a better second-in-command to support their fantastic #1, Chris Brady.
Ariel Lassiter was not here as long, and he’ll go down as one of the randomest players in Fire history. Acquired via trade in August, he was brought in to add depth to the attacking lineup.
Oddly enough he started five of the seven games he was eligible for. Lassiter didn’t do much for himself or for the team. He only had one assist, and that was the same number of wins he got to enjoy before the end of the year.
He’s not terrible, and he’s a standard MLS journeyman kind of figure. However, it’s unclear why Chicago has done any of this. They sent money over for him, gave him plenty of minutes, and then decided they didn’t even want to keep him. Lassiter was never going to be a factor in the Fire’s future.
Another man who only lasted a year was Allan Arigoni. There was some hope and fanfare when he joined on loan from sister club FC Lugano, and he made a strong start to life in the Windy City. Quickly slotting in at right back, the player helped on both ends of the field. He was a decent defender, and he could get up the pitch and whip in dangerous crosses.
Arigoni was a starter for most of the campaign, but he saw his minutes decrease more and more as the season went towards the final stretch. He had become a reserve option. For someone of his salary and attitude, it wasn’t logical to keep him around in that role.
There are likely to be several domestic options available in free agency, who will come in for cheaper and have less demands when it comes to minutes. The team didn’t even have to actually let him go, they just let his loan deal expire and sent him back to Switzerland.
Quick hits
The options for Wyatt Omsberg and Javier Casas were also declined, but the club is in active negotiations with those players in terms of next season.
Omsberg is an excellent player to have around. Someone has to be the 5th choice centerback, and he has shown he’s willing to have a small role in the squad. He’s also a better defender than many give him credit for, and his build is a unique one.
It feels like Casas has been a youth prospect for a decade now. The midfielder is talented, and he’s shown it for the reserve team in MLS Next Pro. However, he’s never been given a chance with the first team, and he only had a single minute of action this year. He’s 21-years-old.
His future is in his hands. If he thinks he’ll eventually get a chance in MLS, and he’s alright with a few more months with the Fire II team, then Casas should stick around. However, if he feels he needs to take a risk and try his luck elsewhere to kickstart his career, a move away is the right decision.
Lastly, goalkeeper Jeff Gal and defender Jonathan Dean had their contracts extended. They’ll be role players, and they might have bigger roles in the team following the aforementioned departures of Richey and Arigoni. Both are good enough in that regard, even if they’re inconsistent.
Aiming ahead
No one has ever won the MLS Cup solely because of their year-end roster decisions.
However, the little things add up, and Chicago’s not always gotten the little things right. That’s why their supporters barely know what the postseason feels like. Only time will tell whether they made the right decisions here, but at least they haven’t done anything remarkably stupid.
This is the groundwork, and now the Fire will look to push into the future. It’ll be interesting to see what areas they aim for first. They have let go of a lot of depth, which will have to be replaced. However, they’re in need of star names too. That balancing act will be a tricky one, and it’ll be Berhalter’s first test as manager.
About The Author
