MIR97 Podcast

Hot Takes LIVE is back! Join founder of MIR97, Matt Shableman, as he brings together a whole new crew of Fire sickos who rant, rave, and argue over YOUR Hot Takes. This week, Matt, Alan, and Daniel talk who's vital to the squad? Is Lewa the answer? Anyone on the team already a bust? Fire a top 3 team????Find us LIVE on the last Thursday of every month at https://www.youtube.com/@meninred97

The Fire are back at Soldier Field this Saturday for a matinée – appropriately against CF Montréal. John and Tim talk Montréal's season opener in what they could only call a "thumping," who will likely be back from injury for the Fire and talk about formations and tactics for the home opener. They also shout out the imminent return of the Boys II Men In Red, as Fire II take on Inter Miami II on Friday.

John and Tim welcome MIR 97 Founder Matt Shabelman around the Bonfire to review what went wrong in the Fire's first action of the 2026. Houston recovered in the second half after Hugo Cuypers open his account in the first half. Get in your Hot Takes for the first Hot Takes LIVE of 2026, Live on the MIR97 YouTube page the last Thursday every month: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfa69MnIXpPxQIRybHC9dq_xyMMh-IO3S9-4bynf3C9WiCNmA/viewform

John sits down with Tim and Joseph Lowery of Backheeled.com to kick off the 2026 campaign as the Fire travel to Houston to open the season on Saturday. Omari Glasgow is loaned to Monterey Bay FC in the USL. The Fire release their new home kit that maintains the classic look of the club. Then, the guys preview the 2026 Chicago Fire season.https://www.backheeled.com/author/joseph-lowery/

The Fire head to the Coachella Valley Invitational and open the last stage of preseason with a 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy as Mbokazi sees his debut for the Fire.

John and Tim pull a chair up to The Bonfire to recap a quiet week in FireLand.  Puso Dithejane will join the club for the next stretch of preseason. Pumas make a bid for Philip Zinkernagel, but are rejected by Chicago. MLS exports more players to Europe while continuing to acquire more talent this transfer window. Apple TV and MLS announce reductions to Spanish language broadcasts; where's the content? MLS signs partnership with Polymarket, an online, prediction market.

John and Tim bundle up around The Bonfire while dreaming of being in Florida while reviewing two preseason wins for the Men in Red. Fire are sitting on $5.1M in GAM, what does that mean for the club in 2026?

John and Tim are joined by Drew Vanderploeg from the Home & Away pod to cover the upcoming (!!) preseason match against SKC. Kellyn Acosta moves to Europe after a lackluster stint in Chicago. At the same time, Puso Dithejane joins from TS Galaxy F.C. from South Africa's Betway Premiership.Correction: the Fire played Fortaleza EC during the 2025 preseason and will not being playing them in 2026.

John and Tim gather around the bonfire to kick off Season 4 with a mailbag! First, Raphaël Wicky returns to MLS as the next head coach of SKC. Justin Reynolds also moves to SKC, looking to secure more minutes. Guti makes his debut for Chivas and gets an assist. What would adding Robert Lewandowski mean for the roster build in 2026?

John and Tim chat about the signing of Finland international midfielder Robin Lod who appears destined to start the season as the Fire's #10. Mbokazi impresses in AFCON loss to Egypt with performance against Mohamad Salah.

John and Tim sit down to talk offseason Chicago Fire football. Robert Lewandowski in talks to join Fire in summer 2026. MLS Next Golden Boot winner Jason Shokalook signs first team contract.

John and Tim gather around The Bonfire on a frigid Chicago morning to talk about Homegrown fan-favorite Brian Gutiérrez headed south of the boarder in a sale with Chivas worth about $5M. Georgios Koutsias is officially transferred to FC Lugano. MLS Next Pro Golden Boot winner Jason Shokalook sings with the first team. Mo Salah is the latest global superstar linked to the Fire. Are the Men in Red going in on the Reds legend?

John and Tim talk about Guti's future in Mexico while Mbekezeli Mbokazi signs for Fire while playing in AFCON. The 20 year old center back has created a stir in the Fire community as predictions swirl about who will start at CB come Opening Day. First, the 2025 MLS season ends with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami lifting the MLS Cup. What does Apple's streaming deal mean for a league looking to grow?

John is joined by DJ and Tim to review Chicago's roster decisions. First, the crew previews the 2025 MLS Cup and makes their picks. MLS schedules released for 2026 season. Smoke is still swirling around Guti's potential big money move to Liga MX. Omar Gonzalez joins Chicago Fire II as a player-coach.

Alan, Tim, DJ and John discuss the change approved by MLS owners to flip the MLS calendar to align more closely with Europe.

John is joined by Alan and DJ to break down some of the early moves and rumors of the 2026 Fire offseason. Guti is drawing attention from Mexico. Acosta is likely on the move after being pushed by a homegrown. Walker Zimmerman will move on from Nashville, is there a place in Chicago for him? Captain Jack is yet to be confirmed for next season.

John is joined by Tim and DJ to recap the the 2025 Chicago Fire season. First, moves begin as GGG builds towards 2026 as Andre Franco signs a permanent deal. Fire announce signing of Swedish international Midfielder Anton Salétros from AIK in Sweden. Brian Gutiérrez may be on the move after acquiring a Mexican passport amid rumored interest from Chivas.

John is joined by Tim and DJ to recap the final game of the 2025 Chicago Fire season that saw the Men in Red go down 3-0 to the Philadelphia Union.

John is joined by Tim and Steve Cangialosi from MLS Season Pass to preview the next playoff match against Philadelphia Union. Philip Zinkernagel makes an appearance at practice this week. Steve shares what he loves about Jack Elliot. Bamba continues to make an impact despite the souring perception.

John is joined by Matt, Alan, Tim, and Alex from CHGO in a live reaction to Chicago's comeback loss in the opening game of the series against Philadelphia Union. Recorded Live at the Second Star Tavern at the Endeavor Health Fire Pitch on October 26, 2025.

John is joined by Alan, DJ and Tim to preview the opening match of the next round of the MLS Playoffs as the Fire look to bounce back from back to back loses against the Supporter Shield winners, Philadelphia Union. Come and join the Bonfire boys LIVE this Sunday at the Endeavor Health Fire Pitch for a watch-along and a post game live recording of The Bonfire!

John is joined by Alan, DJ, and Tim to review a dominant 3-1 win over Orlando City SC an Eastern Conference Wild Card clash. Philip Zinkernagel is named a finalist for the MLS Newcomer of the Year. Guti shows how much he wants to win in what may be his best game ever for the Men In Red.

John and Tim sat down with Lori Lindsey - Match Analyst for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and 2011 World Cup winner - ahead of the Fire's wild card matchup with Orlando City SC to talk working in MLS, the gauntlet of the Eastern Conference, and what to expect when the Fire take the field at SeatGeek on Wednesday night.

John is joined by Tim after the Chicago Fire's 2-2 draw against New England on Decision Day. The duo break down the Fire's flat start and ultimate come-from-behind result that secures the team a date at SeatGeek on Wednesday.

John is joined by Alan and Tim to preview the Fire's 2025 regular season finale at New England Revolution.

John is joined by Alan and DJ to discuss Franco's first game being out as the Fire draw 2-2 against Toronto FC.

Alan is joined by Alex and Tim to celebrate the Chicago Fire book their ticket to the 2025 post season. Fire go to Miami and come out with 3 points after a thrilling 3-5 win. Concerns swirl after Andre Franco went down with what appeared to be a knee injury. Toronto is the next club to face the new look, flaming hot Fire.

In a special episode streamed live, John, Matt and Tim went live to bask in the glory of the first Fire playoff berth since 2017. They talked the game, seeding and the unlikely heroes of the night.

John is joined by DJ, Alan and Tim to discuss what may have been the best half of Chicago Fire football all season. The Fire head to Miami to take on a tired roster that will have played 6 games in 17 days.

John is joined by Alan and Tim to talk ball as the Fire take on their traditional rivals Columbus Crew SC. Jeffery Gal, Johnny Dean, and Chris Mueller all sign extensions as the Fire continue to think about next season.

John is joined by Alan and DJ to review the 0-3 beating on a weak and rotated Loons side. Is the 5-3-2 (3-4-3? 3-2-5?)  here to stay? The stadium moves closer to reality with recent developments from the Department of Development. The Dean cult celebrates as Johnny Dean extends his contract with the club.

John is joined by Alan and Tim to talk about the exciting news of 3 Fire Homegrowns penning extended contracts. As he grows into a face of the club, Chris Brady is one of the three to continue his tenure with the club. Minnesota meet the Fire after a US Open Cup semi-final match midweek.

John is joined by Alan, DJ, and Tim to recap a stunning, but familiar, home loss to NYCFC. As the Fire will look for answers for next season, who is showing enough to keep a job late in the season?

John is joined by Tim and Joe Chatz for an off-the-walls preview episode ahead of a critical match for the Fire when NYCFC and Maxi Moralez visits the lakefront.5 things we learned

John is joined by Tim to recap a 3-2 fire win over the New England Revolution in Bridgeview. Was the team resilient or did they barely hold on? A new look midfield after Franco's first start.

John is joined by Alan and Tim as the Fire get ready to face the New England Revolution for their final match at SeatGeek of the (regular?) season.

John is joined by Tim to talk through some recent news and what the playoff picture looks like after an extra bye week. Midweek we'll preview the Fire's next game against the NE Revs.

John and Tim recap a game of growing pains after the Fire's 4-0 defeat away to the Philadelphia Union.

John is joined by Tim, Alex and Joe Chatz of On Tap Sports Network to review the Fire's moves to wrap up the Summer Transfer Window.https://www.instagram.com/joechatzsports/?hl=en

John is joined by Alan and Tim to break down recent roster moves that saw Carlos Terán leave the club for a reported fee of $2M while Canadian International Joel Waterman joins as Terán's replacement. Waterman joins from CF Montréal for $500k GAM.https://meninred97.com/what-waterman-teran-deals-mean-for-the-chicago-fires-roster/

John and Tim catch up after rain delayed the Fire's 3-2 win over STL CITY by 80 minutes. Andre Franco was unveiled to the fans at halftime and will be wearing the #10. Djé D'Avilla begins to find his form. GGG believes Philip Zinckernagel can set the Fire record for assists and total goal combination in a season.

John is joined by Tim and Alex to discuss the signing of André Franco on loan from Porto FC.  Read Alex's breaking story below. Franco is clear to play, will he appear in the gameday roster this weekend? St. Louis City SC travels to play the Fire at SeatGeek Stadium this Saturday.

John is joined by Tim, DJ, and Alan to recap a 2-2 draw against a star-studded LAFC at SeatGeek Stadium. Son Heung-Min⁠ makes MLS debut to a friendly crowd in Bridgeview. Carlos Teran continues to create chaos.

John is joined by Tim, DJ, and Alan after a week off to preview Fire v LAFC in a rare, regular season matchup. First, big moves around the league as MLS as Son Heung-min and Thomas Müller join the league as former Fire Đorđe Mihailović is traded to Toronto in blockbuster news. Omari Glasgow may leave the club for the remainder of the season. André Franco is rumored to be near to signing for Chicago.

John is joined by Tim and DJ to review an important home win against RBNY that put the Fire above the red line and into a playoff position. Chris Mueller revealed an injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Since he was added to the Season Ending Injury list, the Fire open up a second roster space to use in the Summer Window. CFFC II tie most goals scored in a single game in MLS Next Pro. 

John is joined by Tim, Alan, and DJ to preview the Fire's next match against the Red Bull New York. First, Zinkernagel was in the MLS All-Star game (how'd he do? We didn't know yet people of the future). Fire players return to practice . The guys give their recommendations as to who the Fire should pick up in the Summer window.

John is joined by Tim, DJ and Alan after to talk about the Chicago Fire's 2-0 win over CF Montréal that sees the team keep pace with the pack. Jack Elliott gets his first goal, Zinckernagel continues his road streak going and Chris Brady keeps the clean sheet

John is joined by Tim, DJ and Alan after disappointing 2-2 draw against Atlanta United that feels like 2 points dropped. The gang preview the Chicago Fire's game Saturday night in Montréal that feels like a must-win

Alan is Joined by DJ and Tim to review the first meeting between San Diego FC and Chicago Fire FC. Gaga Slonina on Chelsea's bench as the London club wins the 2025 Club World Cup. Chicago will travel for their next match to Atlanta, and the boys like the chances down south.

John is joined by DJ and Tim to review a disappointing loss to Minnesota in the US Open Cup Quarter Finals. After Omar Gonzalez's red card, do the Fire have a discipline problem? High flying San Diego FC visit the lake front for the first time in Club history.

Alan is joined by DJ and Tim to review an away loss to Cincinnati that was always within reach. While Jeff Gal has been a serviceable stand in, would Brady's presence protected points? The Fire look to advance into the Semifinals of the 2025 US Open Cup against Minnesota United FC.