A week ago, Xherdan Shaqiri and the Chicago Fire beat Toronto FC 2-0 at home to crawl out of the Eastern Conference basement. The result saw the Fire leap two teams in the standings, and when they won their next game, over the visiting Seattle Sounders, Chicago clawed back onto the fringe of the MLS Cup playoff picture.
With about three months still to go in the season, they are now just four points behind FC Cincinnati for the final playoff qualification spot.
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Xherdan Shaqiri met the media after that match, and his 2022 season/physical fitness was a big talking point in Fire manager Ezra Hendrickson’s post match press conference too.
โShaq is carrying a little bit of an injury and stuff โ it’s not an excuse but it’s reality โ but I thought he’s been doing well,” Hendrickson responded to a question about why the Swiss winger/attacking midfielder hasn’t lived up to the hype so far this season.
“Obviously with the injury, we canโt play him 90 minutes for three games in a seven-day period, so we have to manage that. For instance, last Saturday, the plan was to take him out in the 60th, 65thย minute. But he wanted to stay in and we let him stay in; as long as he wants to be on the pitch, we’ll let them stay on the pitch.
“But after about the 80th minute or so, they got weary and he didn’t want to cause more damage to that injury.”
Shaq’s latest injury is a lingering hamstring problem, but issues with his calf and hip have also kept him out of action this season. The most expensive player in Chicago Fire history, he signed for a reported fee of โฌ6.5 million ($7.5 million) in February.
According to data from the MLS Players Association, Shaqiri will earn $7.35 million in base salary and $8.15 million in guaranteed compensation this season. The 30-year-old was the highest-paid player in MLS history, but just until this month. Italian star Lorenzo Insigne came to Toronto FC in July and his massive salary obliterated Shaqiri’s record, according to various reports.
With that big money comes big expectations, and Shaqiri’s signing rivals only Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the club’s history quarter-century history. But Switzerland’s 7th highest all-time goal scorer hasn’t been healthy enough to fulfill those expectations.
Hendrickson has to continue managing his minutes (what would be “on a pitch count” in baseball), and he discussed that after the win over Toronto.
“So, he’ll only come off this pitch, with this team, if itโs an injury reason,” the Fire head coach said.
“He’s that important to this team. And what he brings to the team, the spaces that he opens up for other people โ he’s not scoring 10, 12 goals or whatever โ but what he does for us, and what it means to this team, it’s been very beneficial for us having him here. But it’s not easy for a guy his age to do it, but if there’s one guy could do, it is him. He’s the ultimate professional, and we’re happy to have him and we like what he’s been doing for the team.โ
Shaqiri is the team’s designated player, and as such, he’ll have the most impact on how far the team goes this season.
Xherdan Shaqiri discussed his lingering injury after the match: โItโs not simple, always, but I want to help this team even if I feel something. I try my best. Now we have a lot of games to play so sometimes you have to bite on your teeth and to play.”
“I hope itโs a bit better but we have to play and I try my best at the moment. Itโs not simple for me but I try my best.โ
The former Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan man is tremendously accomplished and very talented. He has winners medals from the biggest trophies in football, like the Bundesliga, Champions League and Premier League.
He’s also completely correct- it’s not simple, and we all need to understand this.
But his lack of eye-popping statistical numbers (only three goals in 17 games) this season do not lie.
He’s been limited in minutes due to injuries (although to his credit, he’s playing through the pain as he’s only missed four matches), but when available for selection sometimes, perhaps he hasn’t truly been as match fit as we would all like him to be.
When he is back to 100% fully fit, consistently, only then will we see the Xherdan Shaqiri that we all know, respect and admire.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net)ย andย author of โTransatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,โ as well asย โNo, I Canโt Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.โ
He has regularly appeared inย WGN,ย Sports Illustratedย and theย Chicago Tribune,ย and heย co-hosts theย After Extra Time podcast, part ofย Edge of the Crowd Network.ย Follow him and the website onย Twitterย andย Instagram.
