Gregg Berhalter stated he was happy with the Chicago Hearth’s progress this season however urged his gamers to enhance regardless of thrashing D.C. United 7-1 of their final MLS fixture.
The Hearth have endured an detached season in Berhalter’s first marketing campaign on the helm, choosing up 25 factors from their first 16 video games, sitting tenth within the Japanese Convention.
Following a 3-1 defeat to New York Metropolis FC on the finish of Could, Chicago have put collectively back-to-back league wins, scoring 10 targets towards Orlando Metropolis FC and D.C. United.
Berhalter, nevertheless, acknowledged that his staff do nonetheless have sure features to enhance on over the approaching weeks to attempt to end as excessive as potential within the standings.
“I believe a greater means to have a look at that is that we simply wish to hold getting higher,” Berhalter stated. “We all know we’re not there but, and we all know that we nonetheless have to enhance.
“However we have to hold working. I believe that the group has not stunned me, however they’re a extremely good group to work with due to the hassle they put in throughout coaching.
“That’s the elemental for every thing. We all know we have to hold getting higher, and we all know that we have to add some extra high quality to the roaster.
“However with that work ethic as the muse, it’s an actual optimistic for us to take shifting ahead.”
first-half targets led to our MLS-best highway wins! #cf97 pic.twitter.com/W5y49FcYNV
— Chicago Hearth FC (@ChicagoFire) June 8, 2025
The Hearth face a stern check this weekend in Nashville SC, who’ve but to style defeat within the MLS since a 3-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders on April 19.
Nashville’s eight-game unbeaten run within the league began with a 7-2 thrashing of the Hearth, which has been adopted up with three wins and 4 attracts.
The Coyotes sit fourth within the Japanese Convention and shall be lots rested, having not performed since Could 31 after they performed out a 2-2 draw with NYCFC.
Nashville head coach B.J. Callaghan stated that their break from league play has given him time to replicate on the primary half of the season and what they should do to enhance.
“I believe we’ve had a pleasant little pause coming as much as the midway level,” Callaghan stated. “It gave us a great alternative to replicate on the primary half of the season.
“It gave us some concepts on some areas we have to refine a little bit bit, and now we’re actually beginning out as a clean canvas for the second half of the season. That’s our mindset.
“We’re being very open-minded and taking a few of the issues we’ve realized that make us tough to play towards, and we’ll proceed to enhance these areas.
“However within the areas we wish to enhance, we wish to elevate these as effectively. That’s what the final week has been targeted on in getting these phases dialled in with some extra element.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Hearth – Tom Barlow
Barlow scored his first profession hat-trick within the Hearth’s 7-1 win over D.C. United on Saturday, the primary hat-trick by a Chicago participant since Nemanja Nikolic in October 2017.
The Hearth had the third-longest drought with out a hat-trick, behind solely the New England Revolution (final in September 2017) and the Portland Timbers (by no means).
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar has scored eight targets in seven regular-season conferences with Chicago, together with two hat-tricks, however he isn’t the one Nashville participant who has loved success towards the Hearth.
Certainly, Sam Surridge has scored six occasions in three video games towards this weekend’s hosts, together with a four-goal efficiency again in April.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Nashville are unbeaten in 10 straight matches in all competitions (W6 D4), the longest streak in membership historical past. They’ve scored a number of targets in six of the final seven matches on this run.
Chicago, in the meantime, have received six of their final seven matches in all competitions (L1), together with a 7-1 win over D.C. United. The Hearth’s seven-goal efficiency equalled a membership document set in a 7-0 win over Sporting Kansas Metropolis in July 2001.
Nevertheless it was seven heaven for Nashville the final time the 2 sides met. They scored a club-record seven targets the final time they performed Chicago, a 7-2 dwelling win on April 26. The Coyotes have received 5 of the eight all-time conferences (D2 L1), together with the final three in a row.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Hearth – 34.6%
Draw – 25.9%
Nashville SC – 39.6%
