Brian Sandalow
Sports contributor
Brian Sandalow is a sports contributor at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino wanted to play incumbent starting goalie Kepa Arrizabalaga for the full 90 minutes in the team’s final preseason friendly, which drew 48,183 to Soldier Field.
On tour with Chelsea as they prepare for the upcoming season, Slonina is watching as veteran colleagues get themselves ready for the grind of a Premier League schedule.
When Klopas was tabbed to replace the sacked Ezra Hendrickson, most assumed he would lead the Fire for the rest of the season before a new coach was hired.
Thanks to five wins in their last six games, the Fire have climbed to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, and figure to be playing meaningful matches down the stretch
Living in and learning new cultures, such as in Montreal and the Netherlands, will do that to somebody, and Mihailovic has learned about himself as he has hopped around the globe.
Saturday’s match against Nashville SC starts a three-game homestand for the Fire, who only have two league wins this year in Chicago.
Beyond the match between San Diego and New England, the day will include performances by Shaquille O’Neal as DJ Diesel before the game and the band Dropkick Murphys after the final whistle.
Before victories at Portland and Kansas City, the Fire’s 2023 season resembled their usual slog, one that was destined to end at the final whistle of the regular season.
Souquet, 31, moved from French side Montpellier to the Fire during the offseason.