The Hot Cast

Rubena nd RJ are back for the season finale of the Hot Cast. They start by talking about Greg Berhalter wasting no time on the roster decisions of players with 2025 club options; dropping all but Jeff Gal and Jonathan Dean. Then they review the season starting with the winter transfer window. They try to find the flashpoint of when it became a year to forget for the club after it started out relatively well and what could have been done to change it.

They end the show by discussing the stadium news and Joe Mansueto owning White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

All that and more on the season 6 finale of the Hot Cast!.

The Chicago Fire have a new Top Man. And it is who we thought it was. Ruben and RJ examine the hiring of Gregg Berhalter from every conceivable angle. They start with the big picture stuff about what his responsibilities are going to it.

In the second half of the show, the hosts go to Magical Christmas Land to discuss who Berhalter could potentially recruit to his project and take a look at the most important area they need to improve, center back.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

The Chacago Fire are all but done with 2024 and Ruben and RJ are here to start the three-week mourning period. They discuss the losses against Nashville and Montreal and lament the fact that the Fire look like they'd rather be anywhere else.

In the second half of the show, they take a look at the rest of the league and look at what the MLS playoffs will look like, including Fraud Watch 2024!! All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

Ruben and RJ are back to discuss all things Chicago Fire. They start with the loss against DC and as promised, Ruben takes a deep dive into the Fire's tactics and tries to identify the difference between the first and second halves. A hint: It revolves around playing players where they're most comfortable.

In the second half of the show, they discuss the Fire players on the Free Agent list released by the MLSPA, Mauricio Pouchitino to the USMNT and Gregg to the Fire. All that and bruised eyes on this week's episode of the podcast.

Better late than Never, it's this week's Hot Cast! Ruben and RJ are back to discuss what went wrong against Inter Miami and if the problems can be fixed or is it too little to late in 2024.

In the second half of the show, your hosts go back and forth on what there is to look forward to for the rest of the season. And Ruben has a warning for the Chicago Fire Game Ops department. All that plus Video Games!! on this week's Hot Cast.

Ruben and RJ return to the podcast airwaves to break down how the fire stole a point against NYCFC at the weekend despite some poor play. They discuss their major preparedness issues the team has and why it's not going to change anytime soon.

In the second half of the show, they talk about the MLS playoff picture, where the Fire stands in it, and what's it going to take for a team to finish above the line.

All that plus a preview of Inter Miami this weekend on this episode of the Hot Cast

Ruben and RJ return just in time to talk about Georg Heitz's pending departure from the club. They discuss what he did for the club, what he didn't do for the club, and what he leaves in his wake.

In the second half of the show, they discuss what the club can do going forward into next season and whether or not the Fire GM job is even a good one.

All that plus Gaga Slonina's Chelsea mistake on this week's Hot Cast.

With RJ on assignment, Ruben called in Fire expert and good dude Tim Hotze on to entertain his Tin Foil theories about the Chicago Fire- including his thoughts about Frank Klopas losing the locker room.

But before that, they discuss the matches vs NYCFC and FC Cincinnati, the Fire's situation regarding overspending, the difficulties in the summer transfer window, and what to do about Xherdan Shaqiri. All that and more in this supersized edition of The Hot Cast.

You can support the show at patreon.com/TheLantern

On this week's episode of the Hot Cast, Ruben and RKJ dissect an up-and-down week for the Chicago men's soccer outfit. They discuss how the comeback win against Philidelphia was directly responsible for the loss in San Jose. They talk about injuries and the seeming lack of depth and what it means for the club going into their three-game week against Eastern Conference playoff opposition.

The second half of the show is spent talking about Brian Gutierrez not being called up to the US Olympic squad and the implications for his career, Gaston Gimenez's departure and RJ lets Ruben rant about FOX's horrible soccer coverage. All that and more on this week's hotcast.

The Fire lose their second game in a row where they outperform the other team for a large portion of the match! Ruben and RJ break down the game and point fingers at who is responsible for the lack of responsibility. They also talk about how good the team played at times and break down the first half when things looked so good.

In the second half of the show, they talk about the impending sale of Gaston Gimenez and what the Fire will have to do to replace him once he goes. Then they talk a bit about tonight's tilt with the Philadelphia Union. All that plus NASCAR and avacados? On this week's Hot Cast

You can support the show over at patreon.com/TheLantern

The Fire lose to Orlando City and Ruben and RJ are back to take stock of where the Fire are. They discuss what the performence of the Fire means in context of the rest of the season and whether or not leading in almost every statistical means anything.

In the second half of the show, they look forword to the summer transfer window with an eye on players playing in the international tournaments.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

The Fire go up to Toronto and win their second game in a row and the Hot Castr have some thoughts. Ruben and RJ debate whether or not their form is sustainable or it's just like last year when they have their mid-season glow-up before disappointing us down the stretch.

Then they talk a bit about the match itself and how the Fire are able to out-tempo teams during their undefeated month and how the passing has improved through the midfield in their off week.

In the second half of the show, they discuss a bit about the international competitions going on over the summer and so much more on this week's Hot Cast.

The Chicago Fire finally won a match after only two months and all it took was a formation change and removal of their Designated Player. Ruben and RJ discuss the match, and Ruben warns why this could be just a one-off, while RJ is the positive one this week.

The show's second half is spent discussing the formation change and what it means for the summer transfer window. Plus they discuss the newest transfer rumors including where Federico Navarro may wind up.

They then spend the last little bit of the show checking in with the Chicago Red Stars ahead of their weekend match at Wrigley Field.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the show at patreon.com/TheLantern

What's life going to be like without Xherdan Shaqiri? That's the main topic of discussion for this week's Hot Cast. Ruben and RJ start the show by discussing what his early departure for Euro 2024 means for the club in both the short and long term. And in the show's second half, they talk about potential replacements on the roster for him.

They also discuss the improvement between the first and second half of the game last weekend against DC. They talk about Brian Gutierrez looking more comfortable as well as how good Federico Navarro has been since his return to the lineup. They end the show by talking about the match in Orlando and how the Fire can win.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

There's a buzzing noise in the background I couldn't quite get rid of. I apologize for it- Editor

After a week off, The Hot Cast is back and the unfortunate news is that If we had a show last week, it would probably sound a lot like this one. Ruben and RJ discuss the Fire's lack of attacking ability and why they can't fix it for about half and hour, and then talk about how they could fix it going into the game against DC United.

Ruben and RJ are back this week after a horrid performence against the Revolution. They discuss how they would manage the club if they had the job and what, if anything is actually working.

They then look at the roster construction and try to sus out what if any moves could be made during the summer, including where Omari Glasgow could fit in.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

On this episode of the Hot Cast, Ruben and RJ return to the podcast waves to discuss what turned out to be a very interesting scoreless draw.

They discuss the tactical changes made in the match, how the club responded to the previous week's injuries, and how the defense responded to giving up 4 goals against RSL.

After a patrion pause, they preview the next game against the New England Revolution. They talk about the Rev's struggles and how this is a must win for the Fire.

All of that plus some stadium talk on this week's Hot Cast.

Rubena nd RJ return after a dismal performence from the Chicago Fire has them wondering what needs to change. they discuss Frank Klopas' roll with the club and talk about whether or not he needs to resign as manager.

They also discuss the recent Bears stadium announcement of an announcement and what that could potentially mean for the Fire and Red Stars. All that and more on this week's episode of the Hot Cast.

you can support the show over at patreon.com/thelantern

Ruben and RJ return after a week off to an up-and-down stretch of the Fire. They catch up on the win in Houston and compare it to the hopeless performence against the Red Bulls. What was the difference between the two games and what can the Fire do to have more like Houston?

They also discuss the Open Cup (This was recorded on Monday Night) and the new MLS roster rules. That and more on this week's Hot Cast

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The Chicago Fire laid an egg in Atlanta and Ruben and RJ break down what went wrong. They discuss Frank Klopas' tactics and what they'd change to make the team function better. They also discuss whether or not FK is the right man for the job. Then they talk about the decline of Rafael Czichos and whether or not he should continue to start every week. All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

Ruben and RJ are back to discuss everything but the Fire's 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution, but they do that anyway. But they start the show talking about the referee lockout being over before getting into the draw. They talk about Allen Arigoni's good performances and the bounceback game from Tobias Salquest and also praise the performence of Hugo Cuypers, as well. They also spend some time talking about some of the problems with Frank Klopas' tactics.

In the second half of the show, discuss Next week against Atlanta, the international games taking place last weekend, and Omari Glasgow. Plus RJ gives his prediction for the White Sox record. All that and more on this week's HotCast

you can support the show over at patreon.com/TheLantern

The Chicago Fire won their first game of the season. That's good! But Ruben and RJ wonder, Was it really deserved? They discuss everything from the wind to bad refereeing to the continued struggles of Xherdan Shaqiri.

It wasn't all negative though. They heap praise on Fabian herbers and Allen Arigone, two players playing above expectations right now, as well as other Fire players playing well.

Then they talk about next week in New England and what a Shaqiriless lineup (he's on international duty) will look like.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

Ruben and RJ are back to discuss the Fire's 2-1 loss to Columbus and what the potential fallout should be. They discuss if it was a bad game or a game ruined by one bad performence. Related: Should the bench Xherdan Shaqiri? They also discuss the performence of the defense and Ruben makes the case for them having a good night. They also talk about officiating and the scab referees.

In the second half of the show, the hosts discuss the upcoming game against CF Montreal and whet the Frie have to do to get their first win of the season.

you can support the show over at patreon.com/TheLantern

After a 2 day sick delay, the Hot Cast is back to finally discuss everything awful about the loss against Cincinnati. They discuss Frank Klopas' formation mistake and bad substitutions, Rafael Czichos's worst game in a Fire shirt, and why they look so poor up front.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the show at patreon.com/TheLantern

The Fire come out of Philadelphia with a point and mixed emotions and the Hot Cast is here to break it all down. Ruben and RJ discuss the good of Brian Gutierrez's two-point night to the bad of losing their starting left back after two minutes and everything in between.

Then, they transition into the upcoming game against Cincinnati and talk about what the Fire will need to do to get their first win of the season.

In the second half of the show, they talk about the behind-the-scenes news that broke midweek including the ongoing labor discussions between PRO and the referee's union and the US Open Cup deal that would see the Fire not participate in the tournament.

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast

You can support the show at patreon.com/TheLantern

The New MLS season is upon us and so is Season 6 of the Hot Cast. Ruben and RJ preview the Fire's 2024 campaign thoroughly by going over the squad changes and talking about how they'll affect how the team plays. They also go over their expectations of the team and look at their competition in the Eastern Conference, which looks to be another season-long battle royale.

They also spend time discussing the bad vibes surrounding MLS and the Open Cup and other things surrounding the beginning of the American soccer calendar. All of that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the show at patreon.com/TheLantern

It's been a long time since we last had a show. But there's been a lot of activity surrounding the Chicago Fire. So Ruben and RJ return to the microphone to discuss all of it. They talk all of the transfers coming in from Hugo Cuypers to Andrew Gutman and everyone in between. They also give a temperature check on their feelings about the Fire's prospects for the season and laugh at the Duncan McGuire Blackburn saga. All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the show over at patreon.com/LanternSoccer

The Chicago Fire have chosen their new manager... and It's Frank Klopas for the fifth time. Ruben and RJ are back for the first time this offseason to discuss his return. They talk about what this hire says about the state of the club and how the move not only affects the next season but the seasons beyond. Ruben also reveals his tin-foil theory about the club's goings-on from 2016 to 2019 and they discuss whether or not the club was going to go out of business.

They also manage to talk about the acquisition of Tom Barlow from the New York Red Bulls and take a look at the Fire's preseason schedule at Coachella. All that And More on the second offseason edition of the Hot Cast.

Georg Heitz is back as the Sporting Director for at least another season and Ruben and RJ return to react to it! They dissect this move from every angle and contemplate the thought process and reasoning behind returning them for another season.

After that, they address the other news out of that announcement including the expansion of the Fire's scouting network into Africa, the rumors of a big-name striker, and the head coaching vacancy.

(Note: this was recorded before the announcement that Chris Armas will manage the Colorado Rapids in 2024.)

You can support the show over at patreon.com/TheLantern

Ruben and RJ are back to put a bow on the 2023 Chicago Fire season. They discuss the end of the season at the hands of NYCFC and how it was a microcosm of the season-- Good but passive defense and a feeble attack. They do praise the club for their defensive improvements throughout the season, but it just wasn't enough. Then, they discuss what the club should do in the offseason.

In the second half of the show, they take a look at all of the Fire's expiring contracts and try to determine who's options to pick up and whether or not to trigger the buy option on Maren Hallie-Selassie (Yes they should)

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the Podcast over at patreon.com/TheLantern

Ruben and RJ return with maybe the second to last episode of the season. They go over the disappointing performance against Charlotte, including bad performances from the midfield and the lack of good goalscoring chances.

In the second half of the show, the boys dicsuss the recent report by friend of the program Alex Calibrese that Djordje Mihailovic may be on his way back to the lakefront. They talk about how he could work tactically on the field and whether or not it's a good idea for the club to bring him back off the field.

They also mention the US Youth call-ups of Brian Gutierrez, Chris Brady, and Sergio Oregel. (this was recorded before Javier Casas was called in as an injury replacement)

All that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the show by going to patreon.com/TheLantern

It's a special postgame Hot Cast! Ruben and RJ are here to break down the Fire's win over Miami. They start with a discussion on the vibes of the game and then quickly discuss some things the Fire could have done better because they're maniacs. After that, they discuss all the good things, and boy were there a lot of good things.

After the break, Ruben breaks down the table and what the playoff math looks like for the Fire beyond the win and you're in scenario they find themselves in. (spoiler, they can finish 7th) and RJ smacks him back to reality.

You can support the show at Patreon.com/TheLantern

After a week of technical difficulties, the Hot Cast returns. Ruben and RJ discuss the Revs match and contrast that performence with the two lost games from last week. But before that, they talk about the staleness of the club overall, and how much these last couple of weeks are going to stink.

however, there was some positives. They discuss the play of the young talented core of players they have including Jonathan Dean and Brian Gutierrez's (before his injury) games. Ruben also pushes back on the push back he's been getting over Carlos Teran being good.

Then, they discuss the Eastern Conference playoff race and how no one actually wants to be in the 8/9 play-in game. Because of that the Fire are still in it! It's a joke! All of that and more on this week's Hot Cast!

You can support the show over at:

patreon.com/TheLantern

Ruben and RJ return to the Hot Cast to discuss everything going wrong with the Chicago Fire. They talk about the seeming lack of effort on display against DC and the disappointment they have in the front office and coaching staff, along with the players. They also have a deep discussion on the role of the designated player and whether or not they should be looked at to be leaders of the team.

In the second half of the show, they talk about playing the Fire's kids and what a lineup where they do that will look like. All of that plus what the boys are going to do during the international break on this week's Hot Cast.

On this week's episode of the Hot Cast, recorded just after Wednesday's final; whistle, Ruben is... upset at the approach the coaching staff Fire took in last week's losses in LA and Vancouver, but especally against the Whitecaps. He reads the riot act to the coaching staff while RJ does his best to calm him down while also acknowledging what a poor display the Fire put on.

Things get lighter in the second half of the show. They talk about all the clubs around the Fire also slipping up and preview Saturday's winnable game against DC United in DC. All of that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the podcast via Patreon over at patreon.com/TheLantern

Ruben and RJ return to the Podcast Studio after what was determined to be a sad performance by the Chicago Fire. They discuss the lack of verve and desire at the end of the game. and talk about Georgios Koutsias's poor performence.

On the flip side, They talk about how good the Fire's spine was with the addition of Ousmane Doumbia and how despite his bad performence, Koutsias's disallowed goals were more unfortunate bad luck than anything else.

In the second half of the show, they talk about the Fire's playoff position-- the loss didn't really affect them. And the upcoming week against LA Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps. And in the last few minutes, they touch on Portland changing coaches and a host of other topics.

You can support the podcast over at Patreon.com/TheLantern

Ruben and RJ return to the microphone to discuss the end of the Fire's run in the Leagues Cup at the hand of Club America. They discuss the Fire's performence in the match and how it was actually pretty good from a certain point of view. They talk about Mauricio Pineda and Osumene Doumbia's growth and the offense's continued struggles to create and score goals.

In the show's second half, they step back and look at the Leagues Cup as a whole to try and find some meaning in the tournament. Plus, they speak on what they're looking forward to as the European Season is about to begin. All of that plus Ruben has a video game recommendation on this week's Hot Cast.

you can support the show at patreon.com/TheLantern

The Fire finished P1 in the Central 2 group over Pachuca and Minnesota United and Ruben and RJ needed to discuss it with you! They started by discussing the tournament as a whole and tried to determine it's value to the soccer ecosystem. Then they went on to discuss the Fire's performence and what they did to get on top.

In the second half of the show, they look forward to Friday's match against Club America. Ruben gets all football romantic about it and RJ has to bring him crashing down to reality. All of that plus 90 seconds of Messi talk on this weeks's Hot Cast.

Ruben and RJ are back just in time to take a break! They discuss the Fire's recent good run of results, but both of them have questions about the quality of those performances. Then in the second half of the show, they discuss the League's Cup, its worth as a tournament, and how they think the Fire will get on in it. All of that plus a fun idea brewing on this Week's Hot Cast!

Thank You to all out patrons over at patreon.com/TheLantern

The Fire followed up their 2 road wins with an egg-laying in central Florida, and your hosts try to figure out what went wrong. Ruben and RJ discuss the Fire and Orlando's tactical approach, poor refereeing, and the Fire's lackluster performence, all of which contributed to the loss.

They then talk about what it would take for the Fire to still, despite everything, be a playoff contender.

Then in the second half of the show, they talk about the Jim Curtin news and what it means for the Fire's coaching search. They also decide whether it was a mistake by ownership to wait until the offseason to make a hire.

Support the show over at patreon.com/TheLantern

On today's episode of the Hot Cast, Ruben and RJ discuss the 6-point week on the road for the Chicago Fire. They start with the 2-1 win in Portland and use that game as a framework to discuss the emerging greatness that is Brian Gutierrez. They also talk about Jairo Torres and his improvements, as well as the return to the back 4 and how that's helped them. They then talk about the win against Kansas City and dicsuss whether or not this was the best win of the year.

In the show's second half, they talk about new signing Ousmane Doumbia and what his signing could mean for the way the Fire play in the future, and what it means for the current roster.

All of that plus RJ's opinion on the League of Legends Coke on this week's Hot Cast.

The Chicago Fire have been eliminated in the US Open Cup and we're here to talk about it. Ruben and RJ discuss the penalty decision and how it was game over afterward, the questionable tactics from Head Coach Frank Klopas, and how the roster was not prepared for the schedule congestion. Then they spend some time on where the Fire go from here and we stake our early claim on who the new manager should be of all the known candidates. All of that plus some rage and sadness on this week's Hot Cast.

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The Hot cast is back and so is the Frank Klopas era! Ruben and RJ discuss his two first league games and the highs and lows their in. They talk about how on the road, his conservative approach led to Charlotte having too much time on the ball, whereas RJ talks about how the players let themselves down. Then they talk about the St. Louis match and how Frank got the personnel and the tactics 100% right. They go on to discuss how he can try to find some sort of middle ground.

After thanking our patrons, They then talk about Xherdan Shaqiri and try to identify what if anything is different is going on with him. Then they move on to the games at the weekend and whether or not they should rotate the squad at home against Atlanta to make sure they have the best chance of winning their Round of 16 Open Cup match in Austin midweek. All of that and more on this week's Hot Cast

Ruben and RJ are back to discuss an action-packed week in Fire soccer, and it's not even over yet. They start with the game against Nashville and talk about how much it stunk to lay down in service of the Open Cup midweek. Then they discuss Ezra Hendrickson firing what it means for the club, and how Frank Klopas would change the team. They transition nicely into the Open Cup game from Tuesday. They discuss how the team played well and how they dealt well with St. Louis's press at times. Then they look at Saturday and beyond to see how the next few weeks could go for the club.

Thank you to everyone who supports the podcast and everything else going on at patreon.com/TheLantern

Ruben and RJ are back after a disappointing draw with the New York Red Bulls. They discuss some big-picture themes on what's going on before getting on to the game proper. There, they discuss the pleasant surprise of Meran Halie-Selassie and what he means for the team. Then they talk about the goal at the end of the game, and discuss what is actually the real problem. After that and the Patreon thank yous, they look forward to the game against Nashville. All of that plus RJ reviews a Jack & Coke on this week's Hot Cast.

Ruben and RJ are back post US Open Cup to discuss the last week of Fire soccer. They start, inevitably, with Xherdan Shaqiri and the Fire's loss against Atlanta United. They discuss the wasted good performances and worry about things other than performence deciding lineups. Then they discuss the first-ever Chicago Derby as the Fire took on Chicago House for the very first time. They talk about how impressed they were with the amateur squad and what the game meant to them. Finally they talk about the upcoming game against the Red Bulls—all that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can support the podcast over at Patreon.com/TheLantern

Welcome back to the Hot Cast. On today's show, Ruben and RJ go over another collapse against the Philidelphia Union. They start by discussing Gastoin Gimenez's value while Ruben asks if he's either the only sane man or the actual crazy one when mentioning how valuable the former DP is to the team this year. Then they spend some time talking about Xherdan Shaqiri and Georgios Koutsias, who made their return from injury and team debuts respectfully. Then, after taking a break to thank our Patrons (patreon.com/thelantern), they go on to discuss the defense and the problems the team face there. They end the show with concerns over this Sunday's game against Atlanta. All of that plus RJ's allergies on this week's Hot Cast.

PS. I apologize for the audio. We had some technical difficulties.

The Chicago Fire have won two in a row, but more importantly, they have an opponent for their Third Round Open Cup match, and It's Chicago House! Ruben and RJ start this week's show by talking about the cupset and giving some Open Cup trivia about the last time the Fire played another team from the Chicagoland tournament in the oldest of American Soccer traditions. After that, they then transition to talking about the Fire's relatively easy win over Minnesota United and the looming specter of Xherdan Shaqiri. Then after thanking our Patrons, they go on to talk about next week's clash with the CCL-depleted Philidelphia Union. All of that and more on this week's Hot Cast.

You can Support the podcast at patreon.com/TheLantern