Atalanta will hope to end their losing streak when they face Bologna at home on Sunday night
Soldier Field plays host to a high-stakes Eastern Conference showdown this Sunday as Chicago Fire look to hand Inter Miami their first defeat of the 2025 MLS season. While both clubs have started brightly, their paths and identities under new leadership have diverged, and that contrast may shape a fascinating encounter.
The early returns from the Gregg Berhalter era in Chicago have been largely positive. Positioned seventh in the East with 11 points from seven matches, the Fire currently sit in playoff territory and have developed a bold, aggressive identity under the former USMNT boss. It’s an approach that has thrilled and frustrated in equal measure.
Chicago have scored 14 goals, the third-most in MLS to date, but that attacking flair has come at a price. Their 12 goals conceded ranks among the worst in the league, underlining their vulnerability in transition and their tendency to leave themselves exposed when pushing forward.
Berhalter’s side have been tough to beat at Soldier Field, losing just once in their last five at home. However, they are still searching for a first home win this season, with back-to-back 2-2 and 1-1 draws against D.C. United and CF Montréal, respectively. Frustratingly for the Fire, they’ve made a habit of surrendering leads, dropping seven points in games where they scored first, including last weekend’s 2-1 loss to New York Red Bulls.
The Fire will also be wary of their recent record against Florida sides, having failed to register a win against a Florida-based club in MLS play last season, with their only point coming in a draw against Orlando City.
Inter Miami, meanwhile, continue to look like the juggernaut that stormed to the Supporters’ Shield last year. Under Javier Mascherano, the Herons have blended tactical flexibility with veteran poise, remaining undefeated in the league while also advancing to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup with an emotional 3-1 comeback win over LAFC on Wednesday night.
Though they drew 1-1 with Toronto last weekend, Inter have shown a consistent ability to claw their way back from adversity, mirroring their 2024 form. They’ve secured four points from losing positions already in league play and are currently averaging 2.33 points per game, an improvement on last year’s record pace.
Away from home, the Herons are especially dangerous. They’ve won four straight MLS away games, including impressive victories at Houston Dynamo (4-1) and Atlanta United (2-1) this season alone. Their most recent trip to Chicago also ended in triumph, a 4-1 dismantling of the Fire last September, marking their first-ever win at Soldier Field. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Chicago Fire
Head coach Gregg Berhalter faces a mounting injury list ahead of Sunday’s high-profile meeting with Inter Miami. As many as six players are doubtful due to lower body injuries: Sam Rogers, Jack Elliott, David Poreba, Brian Gutierrez, Chase Gasper, and Leonardo Barroso are all at risk of missing out. Additionally, Jonathan Dean is dealing with a torso injury and remains a doubt for the matchday squad.
Chris Mueller, a key figure in Chicago’s attacking ranks, was absent from the previous game due to paternity leave, and it remains to be seen if he will be available for selection this weekend. Meanwhile, Jonathan Bamba, who scored his first goal for the club in the loss to New York Red Bulls, is expected to retain his place in the starting XI. Rominigue Kouamé also impressed with his first start last time out and is pushing for another inclusion.
Tactically, the Fire are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Chris Brady will start in goal, offering leadership from the back. The defensive line should include Justin Reynolds at right-back, Carlos Terán and Omar González as the central defenders, and Andrew Gutman at left-back, providing width and overlapping runs.
In midfield, Maren Haile-Selassie, Kellyn Acosta, and Sergio Oregel are likely to form the trio tasked with balancing attacking ambition with defensive discipline. Haile-Selassie will offer the energy and late runs into the box, while Acosta anchors the middle and Oregel looks to link play.
The forward line is expected to feature Tom Barlow on the right, Hugo Cuypers leading the line as the central striker, and Jonathan Bamba on the left wing, bringing pace and cutting edge to the Fire’s attack. With Miami’s defensive structure tested midweek in the Champions Cup, Chicago’s wide players will be key to unsettling the Herons on home soil.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Brady; Reynolds, Teran, Gonzalez, Gutman; Haile-Selassie, Acosta, Oregel; Barlow, Cuypers, Bamba
Inter Miami
Inter Miami head into Sunday’s clash with a few key absences to manage. David Martínez remains sidelined due to an adductor strain, while David Ruiz is nursing a sore hamstring and Tadeo Allende continues to recover from a calf injury. None of the three were involved in the recent draw with Toronto or in the Champions Cup triumph, and their availability for the Chicago trip remains doubtful.
In goal, Drake Callender returned to MLS action on matchday six following a lengthy injury layoff and started against Toronto. However, Oscar Ustari was preferred in their dramatic midweek Champions Cup victory over LAFC, highlighting a potential rotation between domestic and continental fixtures. It is expected that Callender will resume his role for this league encounter.
Lionel Messi has been in sublime form, scoring three goals in his last two competitive matches, including the equaliser in the Toronto draw and the strike that secured Miami’s progression in the Champions Cup. His link-up with Luis Suárez continues to be the heartbeat of Miami’s attacking threat. Midfielder Federico Redondo also opened his account for the club midweek and is pushing for more minutes.
Tactically, Javier Mascherano is likely to stick with his preferred 4-4-2 formation. Drake Callender will start in goal, with the back four consisting of Ian Fray at right-back, Tomás Avilés and Gonzalo Luján in central defence, and Jordi Alba offering experience and attacking width from the left-back spot.
In midfield, Fafà Picault will take the right flank, using his pace and directness, while Benjamín Cremaschi and Sergio Busquets form the central pairing, Cremaschi offering box-to-box energy, and Busquets the deep-lying control. On the left, Telasco Segovia will operate as the creative outlet, drifting inside to support attacks.
Up front, Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez will lead the line, with their movement, understanding, and final-third precision key to unlocking Chicago’s high-risk defensive shape. Both veterans remain lethal and could be the difference-makers again as Miami aim to remain unbeaten in MLS play.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Callender; Fray, Aviles, Lujan, Alba; Picault, Cremaschi, Busquets, Segovia; Messi, Suarez
Ways to Watch
Key Stats
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Inter Miami are unbeaten in the 2025 MLS season so far, collecting 14 points from six matches (W4, D2), and are averaging 2.33 points per game, an improvement over their record-setting 2024 campaign.
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Chicago Fire have not won a single home match at Soldier Field this season, drawing both of their games (2-2 vs D.C. United and 1-1 vs CF Montréal), despite scoring the third-most goals in the league (14).
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Inter Miami have won four consecutive regular-season away games, including both of their 2025 away fixtures — 4-1 vs Houston Dynamo and 2-1 vs Atlanta United — demonstrating strong form on the road.
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Chicago Fire have dropped seven points from winning positions this season, including three in their most recent defeat to New York Red Bulls, where they scored first but lost 2-1.
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Inter Miami won both matches against Chicago Fire in 2024, including a dominant 4-1 victory at Soldier Field, which was their first-ever win in Chicago. They have scored six goals across those two meetings.
Player to Watch
Lionel Messi
No introduction is truly necessary when it comes to Lionel Messi, but once again, the Argentine maestro steps into the spotlight as Inter Miami look to extend their unbeaten start to the MLS season. After a brief absence earlier in the campaign, Messi has returned in devastating form, scoring three goals in his last two competitive matches, including a crucial equaliser against Toronto and a game-winner in the midweek Champions Cup triumph over LAFC.
Messi’s ability to dictate tempo, unlock defences with surgical precision, and score from virtually anywhere makes him the most dangerous man on the pitch, even more so against a Chicago Fire side prone to defensive lapses and vulnerable in transition. His link-up play with Luis Suárez, his intelligent positioning, and his calm in the final third have elevated Inter Miami into one of the most fluid and potent attacking units in the league.
Whether drifting deep to orchestrate or ghosting into pockets of space to finish, Lionel Messi remains the ultimate game-changer. If Chicago allow him time and room to operate, they may find themselves on the wrong end of another vintage performance.
Prediction
Chicago Fire 1-3 Inter Miami
Chicago’s energy under Gregg Berhalter is admirable, but their defensive openness may be tailor-made for a counter-attacking side like Inter Miami. With the Herons finding form both in MLS and in continental competition, they will fancy their chances of exploiting space and punishing lapses — particularly with the quality they possess in the final third.-
