Fire's Home Opener: Chicago vs. CF Montréal Preview

Both teams walking into Soldier Field today are staring at the same number in the standings: zero. That doesn't make this a throwaway match — it makes it urgent. Three points here sets the tone for the next month. Zero points after two weeks is a different kind of conversation entirely.

Chicago Fire (0-1-0) host CF Montréal (0-1-0) at 1:30 PM CT on Saturday, February 28th, in what doubles as the earliest home opener in Chicago Fire history. Kickoff is on MLS Season Pass and locally on WLS AM 890.

Here's everything you need to know before the whistle blows.

The State of Both Teams Heading In

Chicago's Week 1 loss at Houston wasn't without merit. Gregg Berhalter's side dominated the first 45 minutes at Shell Energy Stadium — pressing relentlessly, scoring through Hugo Cuypers' clinical 31st-minute strike, and looking genuinely dangerous. Then the second half unraveled in the span of nine minutes, as Brazilian debutant Guilherme Santos scored twice to hand the Dynamo a 2-1 victory. The Fire were "poor" in the second half by their own admission. They'll need 90 minutes of what they showed in the first 45.

If Chicago had a rough opener, Montréal had a catastrophic one. The Bleu-blanc-noir were routed 5-0 by San Diego FC in Week 1 — a scoreline that raises immediate questions about the defensive organization of a team that's been openly rebuilding after a winless first 11 matches led to their head coach getting fired before last April's home opener in 2025.

Two teams that need points. One team with early promise, one with early alarm bells. That asymmetry is the story of today's match.

What Chicago Must Fix After Houston

The post-match analysis of the Houston game made one thing clear: the Fire's press is a genuine weapon, but only when they sustain it. When it dropped in the second half, everything else dropped with it. Berhalter's build-from-the-back approach becomes a liability when the team can't advance the ball under pressure. The press isn't just about disrupting opponents — it's the engine that makes the entire offensive system function.

Against a Montréal side still figuring itself out, Chicago has a real opportunity to impose that press from the opening whistle and never let up. The question is whether the team has the physical and mental sharpness to do it for a full 90.

Three specific things to watch:

• Second-half discipline. The Fire were a different team before and after halftime in Houston. That consistency gap is job number one to close.

• Chris Brady's distribution. The 21-year-old goalkeeper showed improved confidence playing out from the back but was exposed when pressure mounted. A struggling Montréal attack is a good environment to build on that.

• Set pieces. Chicago's delivery was threatening all game in Houston — Cuypers, Mbokazi's aerial ability, and the overall size Berhalter can deploy make dead balls a genuine source of goals. Against a side that just conceded five, expect the Fire to look for corners and free kicks early.

Team News: Who's In, Who's Out

The Fire will be without Andrew Gutman and Viktor Radojević, both dealing with lower-body injuries that ruled them out from the Houston trip as well. Gutman's absence at left back has been a real blow — the experienced fullback was counted on as a key piece of Berhalter's system, and his replacement options are thinner than ideal.

The good news: Jonathan Dean is expected to return after missing the opener following the birth of his first child. Dean's availability at fullback at least gives Berhalter a more experienced option to work with in the back line.

Sam Rogers and Jason Shokalook are also not expected to feature, according to On Tap Sports Net's pre-match report.

Montréal, meanwhile, will look to Spanish-Albanian designated player Giacomo Vrioni — who had four goals in 10 appearances last season — and creative midfielder Iván Jaime to provide some attacking spark after being overrun by San Diego. Eighteen-year-old right back Aleksandr Guboglo had a breakout 2025 and is expected to play a bigger role this year.

The History Between These Two Sides

This is the 32nd all-time meeting between the clubs, and the series is closer than you might expect. Montréal holds a slim historical edge: 13 wins to Chicago's 10, with 8 draws.

Recent form, though, has favored the Fire. Last season, Chicago won 2-0 in Montréal and drew 1-1 at Soldier Field on March 29, 2025 — the game Montréal will be hoping to replicate as a baseline. A point away from home against Chicago in the early weeks would be exactly the kind of result Montréal could build on. Chicago wants to deny them even that.

Former Montréal defender Joel Waterman joined the Fire via trade last summer, making today the first time he'll face his former club in a Chicago shirt — a subplot worth keeping an eye on.

The Bigger Picture for Chicago

This is more than a Week 2 match. Collecting three points at home against a side with low preseason expectations is exactly what separates playoff contenders from the teams that scrape into the postseason on points differential. The Fire are capable of being the former. A loss today against a team that just got blown out 5-0 would be a genuine warning sign.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi — who looks like he'll outgrow MLS faster than anyone realizes — impressed enormously in the opener and will be central to Chicago's backline today. His partnership with Joel Waterman at center back is one of the more intriguing defensive combinations in the Eastern Conference, and a clean sheet today would go a long way toward building the kind of trust a young defense needs.

The early-season context is stark: Chicago gave up 60 goals last year — fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference — despite scoring the second-most. Defensive solidity isn't optional. It's the difference between the Fire being good and being great in 2026.

The Call

Chicago wins. A motivated home side with quality to burn against a Montréal team coming off a 5-0 mauling — Berhalter's squad takes care of business at Soldier Field. The Fire press early, Cuypers finds the net, and the second half holds this time.

But don't turn it off at the half if Chicago is leading. That's when it gets interesting.

Kickoff is at 1:30 PM CT. Stream on MLS Season Pass or tune in locally on WLS AM 890 (English) and Que Buena Fire on Uforia by Trebel App (Spanish).