MIR97’s Chicago Fire End-of-Season Awards 2023

The 2023 Chicago Fire season has come to an end, so it’s time to hand out some end-of-season honors. Last week, MIR97 readers submitted their votes on eight different awards, and throughout the week, we’ll be announcing the winners. This story will be updated as the winners are declared.

Most Valuable Player: Chris Brady

19-year-old Chris Brady had a difficult start to 2023; some unfortunate gaffes in the winter caused some to raise questions. A few months later, by the end of the season, there are no doubters left. Over the course of the year, Brady emerged not only as one of the top goalkeepers in MLS, but as one of the best young keepers on the planet and represents a tremendous promise for both club and country. He immediately won the trust of coaches, fans, and his teammates and was the main reason the Fire were competitive all the way until Decision Day.

Read more about Brady’s MVP season here.

MIR97 readers voted for Brady to win by a comfortable margin, with following homegrown Brian Gutiérrez finishing in second. Congrats, Chris!

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (MVP):

Alex Calabrese: Chris Brady

Jiggly Carollo: Chris Brady

Colin Chough: Brian Gutiérrez

Christian Hirschboeck: Chris Brady

Tim Hotze: Chris Brady

Matt Shableman: Chris Brady

Young Player of the Year: Brian Gutiérrez

Two young homegrowns took this season by storm in Chris Brady and Brian Gutiérrez. Both locked down starting jobs from day one and became so important to the team that they were not released for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in May. “Guti” wasn’t sure what his role would even be this season, as his preferred position, the #10, was occupied by big-money signing Xherdan Shaqiri, but when the DP went down injured in the Spring, he made that position his own and thrived. At points, Guti put Shaqiri on the bench, an incredible accomplishment for someone who only turned 20 in June. With two goals and nine assists, he led the team in goal contributions and is certainly worthy of a Young Player of the Year award that two players, in truth, equally deserved.

Gutiérrez led the vote with 60, just ahead of Brady. Congrats, Guti!

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (Young Player of the Year):

Alex Calabrese: Chris Brady

Jiggly Carollo: Chris Brady

Colin Chough: Brian Gutiérrez

Christian Hirschboeck: Chris Brady

Tim Hotze: Chris Brady

Matt Shableman: Chris Brady

Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Brady

There was no doubt who would claim the Fire’s Defensive MVP, as 19-year-old Brady enjoyed a truly breakout season in goal. Heading into the new year, there was a seed of doubt for some that Ezra Hendrickson would hand the starting role to such a young and inexperienced goalkeeper, but when he got his chance, he never looked back. Brady showed continued growth throughout the season and improved both his decision-making and ballplaying skills, singlehandedly keeping the Fire in games down the stretch even as the back line faltered. Brady notched eight clean sheets and made 94 saves, the most by a Fire keeper since Sean Johnson in 2014. He was named 17th on the MLS 22 Under 22 list, the only goalie on the list, though it could be argued he should be much higher.

Brady easily won the poll with more than half of the vote. Congrats, Chris!

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (Defensive Player of the Year):

Alex Calabrese: Chris Brady

Jiggly Carollo: Chris Brady

Colin Chough: Chris Brady

Christian Hirschboeck: Chris Brady

Tim Hotze: Chris Brady

Matt Shableman: Chris Brady

Newcomer of the Year: Maren Haile-Selassie

Even as the Fire underperformed this season and once again missed the playoffs, several of the new signings did make an impact. Kei Kamara scored several important goals in the Spring, while Jonathan Dean wrestled the starting right back spot to himself in the Summer. Maren Haile-Selassie was the best of the bunch, though, as he established himself this season as an MLS-level contributor. Haile-Selassie led the team in goals with 6 in the MLS regular season, in addition to scoring an important goal in the Open Cup against St. Louis CITY. The 24-year-old stood out both as a winger, his natural position, and as a wingback, a role he had never played prior to this season. The highlight of his 2023 was his brace off the bench against Inter Miami in front of more than 62,000 fans on October 4th. It’s a no-brainer that the Fire should look to make his loan transfer permanent this offseason.

Haile-Selassie convincingly won the vote, earning 72% of the share. Congrats, Maren!

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (Newcomer of the Year):

Alex Calabrese: Maren Haile-Selassie

Jiggly Carollo: Maren Haile-Selassie

Colin Chough: Maren Haile-Selassie

Christian Hirschboeck: Maren Haile-Selassie

Tim Hotze: Maren Haile-Selassie

Matt Shableman: Maren Haile-Selassie

Most Improved Player of the Year: Brian Gutiérrez

Winning his second award of the show, Gutiérrez was deemed the player who showed the most growth in 2023. After recording two goals and five assists last season, the 20-year-old increased his total to two goals and nine assists in MLS, whilst adding a few additional assists in the U.S. Open Cup. In 2023, he took on a bigger leadership role on the field, leading by example and being a positive presence in the group. Guti’s performances earned him fifth position on the league’s 22 Under 22 list, which consists of the best young players in MLS. He was also recently named team MVP by the club.

Gutiérrez won the vote with 38, though four other players also received considerable shouts. Congrats, Guti!

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (Most Improved Player):

Alex Calabrese: Miguel Ángel Navarro

Jiggly Carollo: Gastón Giménez

Colin Chough: Carlos Terán

Christian Hirschboeck: Gastón Giménez

Tim Hotze: Carlos Terán

Matt Shableman: Brian Gutiérrez

Fire II MVP: Luka Prpa

Chicago Fire II had a strong season in MLS Next Pro in 2023, and improved on their 2023 finish as they reached the postseason. A few players stood out for that team, but none more so than Luka Prpa, who led the team with eight goals and seven assists. Prpa joined the team ahead of 2023, joining from Hartford Athletic of USL. The dynamic attacking midfielder shows lots of talent and could be a future MLS-level player. At 25, there’s still plenty of time for him to get that promotion.

Prpa narrowly won the vote, edging Omari Glasgow by just one. Congrats, Luka!

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (Fire II MVP):

Alex Calabrese: Luka Prpa

Jiggly Carollo: Luka Prpa

Colin Chough: Sergio Oregel Jr.

Christian Hirschboeck: Charlie Ostrem

Tim Hotze: Luka Prpa

Matt Shableman: Charlie Ostrem

Goal of the Year: Xherdan Shaqiri vs. CF Montréal

Though there were some stretches of the season in which the Fire seemed totally unable to score, they did manage to produce a few quite nice goals. The best, though, was certainly Xherdan Shaqiri’s long-range strike in the Fire’s midsummer demolition of CF Montréal at Soldier Field. With the Fire already leading 2-0 behind early goals from Brian Gutiérrez and Maren Haile-Selassie, the two Swiss attackers, Shaqiri and Haile-Selassie, combined on a well-drawn-up set piece, with the Designated Player bending a shot past Jonathan Sirois from way downtown. While it represents just one of four non-penalty goals in MLS for the number 10, the Montréal win was a highlight of the summer, and showed he still has some magic in his boots.

Shaqiri finished both first and second in the vote, with his dagger against Miami earning runners-up. Congrats, Xherdan!

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (Goal of the Year):

Alex Calabrese: Xherdan Shaqiri vs. Montréal

Jiggly Carollo: Mauricio Pineda vs. Orlando

Colin Chough: Xherdan Shaqiri vs. Montréal

Christian Hirschboeck: Rafa Czichos vs. St. Louis CITY

Tim Hotze: Xherdan Shaqiri vs. Montréal

Matt Shableman: Xherdan Shaqiri vs. Montréal

Game of the Year: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami

The Fire’s season had several highs and lows, but none of the highs were higher than the 4-1 win over Miami on October 4th. Xherdan Shaqiri and Maren Haile-Selassie both scored twice, and the Fire put themselves into a playoff spot in front of more than 62,000 fans at Soldier Field. It was an excellent night for everyone involved both on and off the field; while the sold-out crowd was disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to see Lionel Messi play, they were witness to an all-around perfect performance from the Men in Red, as well as a halftime Lil Durk concert and an unforgettable game atmosphere. Though the celebrations were short-lived – three days later, a loss against Charlotte dampened playoff hopes – the win on 10/4 is one fans will never forget.

The Miami game overwhelmingly won the vote, with most fans picking it as their game of the year.

MIR97 Writers’ Picks (Goal of the Year):

Alex Calabrese: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami

Jiggly Carollo: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami

Colin Chough: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami

Christian Hirschboeck: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami

Tim Hotze: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami

Matt Shableman: Chicago Fire 4-1 Inter Miami