Columbus Crew vs Chicago Fire Fc Picks and Predictions February 22nd 2025

Berhalter Leads Chicago Fire Into a New Era

Former U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter is back in MLS, taking charge of the Chicago Fire as they aim to rebuild after a challenging 2024 season. The Fire will kick off their campaign with an Eastern Conference clash against Berhalter’s former club, Columbus Crew, on Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio.

Berhalter, who coached the Crew from 2013 to 2018 and guided them to the MLS playoffs four times, faces a significant task in turning around a Fire team that finished last in the East with just 30 points. Chicago has missed the postseason every year since 2017 and has only qualified once in the past 12 seasons.

Revamped Fire Squad Ready to Compete

Berhalter has wasted no time reshaping the Fire’s roster, with up to six new starters expected to take the field. Key additions include Ivorian winger Jonathan Bamba, Portuguese fullback Leonardo Barroso, Malian midfielder Rominigue Kouame, and Danish winger Philip Zinckernagel from Brugge. These international signings are expected to complement returning striker Hugo Cuypers, who led the team with 10 goals last season.

“The starting point is, you know, to build a world-class organization — that’s what we’re focused on,” Berhalter said. “We want a team that really develops both players and staff members. We want to unite Chicago, we want Chicago behind us, we want to capture Chicago, and we want to win.”

Columbus Crew Look to Build on Record-Setting Season

On the other side, Columbus Crew enter the season aiming to build on a successful 2024 campaign in which they set club records for wins (19), points (66), and goal differential (plus-32). However, their playoff run ended abruptly with a first-round loss to the New York Red Bulls.

Head coach Wilfried Nancy, named MLS Coach of the Year, now faces the challenge of maintaining that success despite key departures. Forward Cucho Hernandez was transferred to LaLiga’s Real Betis for a club-record fee that could reach $16 million, while Christian Ramirez and Yaw Yeboah also moved on. To bolster the squad, Columbus signed versatile Finnish midfielder Lassi Lappalainen, who spent the past six seasons with CF Montreal.

Despite the roster changes, Nancy remains confident in his team’s approach.

“The plan hasn’t changed, to be honest with you,” he said. “We try to think ahead about what can happen. When we have a player leave, no matter what is the position, we try to anticipate it.”

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High Stakes in Season Opener

As both teams take the field for their season opener, the match represents more than just the start of a new campaign. For Chicago, it marks the beginning of a new era under Berhalter, with hopes of finally breaking their playoff drought. For Columbus, it’s an opportunity to prove that they can maintain their success despite the departure of key players.

With fresh faces and renewed ambition on both sides, Saturday night’s clash promises to be a compelling start to the MLS season.