For now, the 1998 MLS Cup winners can focus on more pressing tasks, such as ending a painful six-year postseason drought this fall and finding the right person to replace Heitz.
“The mindset right now is obviously focused on the playoff run. I know it threw everyone off a little bit when those two things happened at the same time. But I wouldn’t say it threw everyone off,” Brady said of the developments surrounding Shaqiri and Heitz.
“I think the guys have done pretty well, as you saw last week in a comeback (2-2 draw at New York City FC), and put the past behind them. For us, every game is a final now… We’re all trying to go game by game and make something happen.”
Klopas has been a key figure for the Fire as a player, coach and general manager, and he’s urging his team to seize the opportunity and storm through the door that’s still open to them. As poorly as they’ve played through the first three months of the season, Chicago is just two points out of the final playoff spot in the East.
“It’s in our hands,” Klopas said. “It’s a big game, of course, but the next three games are home games for us, so this is a huge opportunity to play consistently well against really good teams that we’ve played well against so far. I think the mentality of the team, for me, was one that never, ever gave up, even in the ups and downs.”
“We’re healthy and we have a golden opportunity ahead of us,” Klopas continued. “There’s a lot at stake for the players, for all of us, and we want to finish strong. You can change the narrative. You can change the perspective. You can change the way people perceive you just by the way you finish the season. And I’m excited because I think these games really mean something, there’s something at stake, there’s more pressure, and I think that always brings out the best in players.”
