When Chicago Fire FC joined MLS in 1998, they took the league by storm, winning the MLS Cup and the US Open cup in their first season. Over the next decade, they bagged 3 more Open Cups, a Supporter’s Shield, and 3 Conference wins. Their star faded after that, but they built a legacy in those early days that fans are still rightly proud of.
When drawing up a list of Chicago Fire legends then, it stands to reason that most of them will be from those glory days. In fact, every single player mentioned here was a Chicago Fire founder member – unique among my club legend series of articles.
To be clear, this isn’t a list of the best players to pull on a Fire jersey, because the most talented player in the world can show up for a season and do well without bonding with the club or the fanbase, No. I’m talking about the players who became genuine legends of the club through their performances, their passion, and their longevity.
There are some great names that did not make it, and that is no disrespect to them. Anyone not on the list has been omitted not because they don’t deserve the title as a legend, but because someone else deserves it for. For example, while players like Hristo Stoichkov and Bastian Schweinsteiger brought plenty of excitement to Chicago, and they were undoubtedly fan favourites, with just 3 seasons apiece it is hard to put them in over some others.
Anyway, these things are subjective, and the following is only my own opinion. So here are my top 6 Chicago Fire club legends.
6. Jesse Marsch – 1998-2005
Having already won the MLS Cup twice, the US Open Cup, and the Supporters Shield with DC United before joining Chicago Fire FC for their inaugural season, Jesse Marsch was key player from the get go. He brought trophy winning quality to a brand new team, despite having only been a fringe player at DC.
He could be fiery at times, even with his own teammates, but if sparks flew it was only because he was so spirited and competitive. Jesse was a guy who really wanted to win. He was a high energy player, a box to box midfielder who excelled at disrupting the opposition’s rhythm by pressing and liked to carry the ball forward when in possession.
He clocked up 200 appearances for the Men in Red before transferring to Chivas, contributing his fair share of goals and assists too. He was never at the top of any all time record lists, but features in many of them. If anything, you could argue that Marsch was underrated. He was perhaps overshadowed at times by other players in the team, but at any other club he would have been a star man.
Not the most technically gifted player perhaps, but Jesse Marsch gave the Fire 8 seasons of dedication, work ethic, and discipline. He will always be remembered for scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over LA Galaxy that propelled the Chicago Fire to the 1998 playoff finals, which they won.
5. Piotr Nowak – 1998-2002
Piotr Nowak was the Chicago Fire’s statement signing when they were founded in 1998. He came from 1860 Munich in the German Bundesliga, and was known for his leadership and precision from the midfield position. He was a very polished player and brought a great deal of experience with him to Chicago.
This bore out in the stats. Over 5 seasons, Nowak played 114 games for the Fire and claimed 48 assists, a cub record. He bagged 26 goals of his own, too, so was a dual threat.
He made himself indispensable from day one, serving as the creative engine of the team and captaining them through their inaugural season to double trophy success, and more silverware in the seasons that followed. His vision and work ethic were inspiring to his team mates. Individually, he was voted MLS Cup Most Valuable Player and easily claimed a spot in the MLS Best XI, a feat he achieved twice more before being included in the MLS All Time Best XI.
Piotr Nowak retired from playing as a hero to Chicago Fire fans. He may have stopped playing in 2002, but his shirt with the number 10 still hangs at the stadium in honour of his impact there.
4. Ante Razov – 1998-2000 and 2001-2004
No one has scored more goals for Chicago Fire than Ante Razov. He found the back of the net 88 times in 189 games in all competitions, and was top scorer for them every year between 1998 and 2003 (apart from the 2001 season and that’s only because he wasn’t there).
Ante was the star man for the Fire during his time in the jersey, and played a big part in 5 of their 6 major trophy wins. His honours include an MLS Cup, 3 US Open Cups, and a Supporter’s Shield. He was also the third player in history to score 100 MLS league goals.
Razov was a technically gifted attacker who could score from just about anywhere, and he seemed to relish the big games where the results really mattered. His left foot was lethal, and he had a knack for finding goal scoring opportunities in tight spaces. He was often the difference maker in a game.
He set the bar for every forward who joined the club since his departure in 2004, and no one has been able to match his output or influence since. Ante Razov is the standard by which all other Chicago Fire strikers will be judged. A true legend.
3. Zach Thornton – 1998-2006
Zach Thornton was unmoveable between the posts for Chicago Fire for 9 seasons. He was there for every single major trophy the club ever won, and he played a key role in them too. He even came back to work as the club’s goalkeeping coach in 2022.
At 6’3 and 220lbs, Thornton was a commanding presence in net. He used his physicality to great effect, especially when coming off his line in one on ones or to claim a cross. He was not afraid to clatter through a crowd to get his hands on the ball. He had excellent shot stopping abilities as you would expect, and could move fast for such a big man, but he often didn’t have to. His size coupled with his positioning meant he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
Thornton also brought organisation and discipline to his back line by being incredibly vocal. He was always barking orders and had great command of the box. A big voice in the dressing room as well as being a big presence on the pitch. When it came to distribution, Thornton went for secure balls rather than risky ones, so rarely gave away possession.
He wasn’t just the best goalkeeper at the Fire, he was one of the best goalkeepers MLS has ever seen, twice winning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (1998 and 2009, how’s that for longevity), twice being named in the MLS Best XI, and a three time MLS All Star.
The Men in Red have had a number of great goalies since, but none have been able to live up to Zach Thornton.
2. Chris Armas – 1998-2007
The engine room of the Chicago Fire squad for a decade, Chris Armas was the sort of defensive midfielder that every team wants: consistent, gritty, a leader, a destroyer when he needed to be, but also with the ability to pick out key passes and create chances. In fact, he has the second highest assist record at the club, with 42 assists (and 12 goals) in 214 appearances in all competitions.
That wasn’t even his main job, but it shows how well Armas could read the game. His tactical awareness was very strong. He could sniff out and shut down attacks before they gathered momentum, and was known as a relentless ball winner. Armas was a tough player, but an intelligent one with a winning mentality that endeared him to Fire fans.
Chris suffered a devastating ACL injury in 2002, but came back just as strong, winning MLS Comeback Player of the Year the following season as well as the club MVP. In fact, he played a key role in every trophy the Chicago Fire ever won, being one of only 3 players who can make that claim.
He wasn’t just a Chicago Fire legend, but an MLS legend too. It is fair to say that anyone with 5 MLS Best XI selections and 6 MLS All Star selections has made their mark on Major League Soccer. For Chicago Fire fans though, Chris Armas will always belong to them.
1. C.J. Brown – 1998-2010 and 2014 and 2022-2023 as Assistant Coach
Every club has a player that perfectly sums up what they are all about, and for Chicago Fire, that player was C.J Brown. He is, quite simply, Mr Chicago Fire.
Brown was an original member of the 1998 team and played all 13 seasons of his professional MLS career at the club, amassing a record 372 appearances – which is unlikely to ever be beaten. He is also one of only 3 players to have been involved in every single major trophy win the Men in Red have enjoyed.
As a player, C.J Brown was relentless. He played as a centre back and was known for being a positionally sharp and hard tackling defender who gave everything for the team. The club badge clearly meant something to him, and he was willing to fight for it. Perhaps this is why he also holds the club record for the most yellow cards received.
He wasn’t the biggest or the fastest, but he played with a potent mix of intelligence and tenacity making him incredibly difficult to beat in one on ones. He was a no nonsense kind of defender who never backed down. His game was simple but effective, and very physical, which the fans loved.
Brown retired as the last surviving Fire original, and has the 3rd most appearances for a single club in the entirety of MLS history.