With the help of a ton of Lionel Messi and/or Inter Miami CF supporters, the Chicago Fire FC set an attendance record today. A goalless draw, which was much more compelling than it sounds, was staged at Soldier Field, in front of 62,358.
That is the highest ever attendance for a Fire home game, surpassing the October 2023 visit of Miami, where Messi was not healthy enough to play.
It’s impossible to really estimate how many people were there supporting the visitors, were neutral, or were there to support the home team.
However, it certainly looked like close to 80% of the crowd was wearing a Messi kit, whether it be Miami (in black or pink) or Argentina (light blue and white vertical stripes).
Simply put, the biggest draw here was the prolific Argentinian winger who has consistently been described by Gregg Berhalter as the “greatest player in the world.”
Messi: Greatest Player in the World
Berhalter was specifically asked what exactly it is that makes Messi the greatest player in the world.
“It was interesting watching him up close,” Berhalter answered, to the Messi question.
“It’s just quality, he understands the game. Normally, his acceleration and change of direction is just different level where you can’t get close to him.”
“You saw a couple times tonight, as you try to get close to him, he just shifts, changes directions with the ball and he makes it extremely difficult.”
Berhalter then described just how dangerous Messi can be off set pieces.
“..those two free kicks that he has – you’re holding your breath because it almost feels like a penalty kick,” he continued.
“When he gets those opportunities, it’s like, this is a goal. So that’s frustrating, but that’s what makes him who he is.”
Scoring Chances Aplenty
Just because it’s a nil-nil draw doesn’t mean it’s not compelling theatre. Anyone who tells you a game is boring just because it ended 0-0 doesn’t know soccer/football/futbol.
This game had numerous scoring chances, it’s just that none of them converted.
Less than four minutes in, Messi went up top with a powerful shot, but Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady saved it by knocking it skyward.
Messi also had a free kick bounce off the cross bar.
Off another set piece, his shot landed in the top part of the net, and thus from certain angles it looked like it actually went in.
In the final minutes of this one both teams were trading optimal scoring chances, and we went back-and-forth with multiple goal opportunities, from both sides that just went awry.
There were numerous momentum shifts, but in the end a draw proved to be a very fair result, given how the game played out.
The Fire outshot Miami 16-9, putting 7 on goal to Miami’s 3.
However, too many of the Fire’s shots went straight towards the arms, torso of Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and they made for easily save shots. Still, major credit to Brady for registering a clean sheet against a Miami attack as vaunted as this.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.