CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 5, 2026

Mauricio Pineda

Press Conference

Q. What are the expectations for this midweek game coming off a weird international break of sorts for the team with guys coming in and your striker coming back and facing the top team in the West? What are expectations of what should be a tough game tomorrow night?

MAURICIO PINEDA: Yeah, I think that's the main thing that we are preparing for, a tough team. I think Vancouver doing well in the conference. We've been preparing well for that. Like we approached the Charlotte game and played with some guys missing but Robert's back. I think it will be good. We are preparing well for it and hope to have an intense start. Get the crowd behind us. Good to be home again. So yeah, nothing less than three points is the expectation for us, too.

Q. Last game over in Charlotte, you got Rafa Pineda to come, and now he's under contract with the second team. What was it like having him on the bench for the first team with you?

MAURICIO PINEDA: It was great. I'm still trying to get used to seeing him in training. Sitting next to him on the bench was crazy. Obviously I grew up with him and played with him when he was barely learning how to walk.

It's a little bit crazy seeing him with him on the field with me now. And yeah, it was nice having him in Charlotte and having him in training with us, too.

Q. Looking ahead, eight games in the next month to end the season and so for you for the team, what do you think are the keys to staying physically and mentally prepared knowing it's going to be a game every four days, basically, the rest of the way?

MAURICIO PINEDA: Of course, I think one of the keys is the squad that we have, we showed in Charlotte that we have a lot of players that are willing to compete for spots and everyone pulling in the same direction and trying to get this team in a good form going into the last eight games of the season.

I think, yeah, that's the key. It's great to have that many guys in with their national teams and it's great to be winning games with all those guys gone, too. It says a lot about how competitive our squad is right now. So yeah, just keep having that squad pulling in the same direction and hopefully get some wins here to close out the season.

Q. One of the things, you've been a starter at times throughout your time with the Fire and you've been coming off the bench. We've seen you in a lot of different roles in the midfield. What do you think the diversity of options are with the Fire right now, and what do you think about the team's ability to perform in this hectic month with that many games?

MAURICIO PINEDA: That goes with what I was talking about earlier, not only me, but a lot of guys in the midfield and every position playing multiple positions. But really just doing what the team needs at the time, I think, is the most important part.

I think we all want to look back on the season knowing we did everything possible for the team's success. That's what I tried to focus on and what everyone else in the team is focusing on.

Yeah, just doing your best and whatever role the team needs new, and yeah, I think we are doing a good job of that.

Q. Looking at where the team is right now, fifth on the table, you have the opportunity to move further up, how important to get that home playoff game after last season and the excitement?

MAURICIO PINEDA: Yeah, for sure what we are focusing on a lot more is our approaches every single game and approaching every single game with the right mentality and try to get the best performance as possible for our team. That's going to put us in a pretty good spot to win games and be in that top spot you're talking about. Playing in front of our homes fans is always a positive for us.

Q. In the past, we used to ask a lot about the difference between playing center back and central midfield. We've got a defender/midfielder which is nice. This year, how would you describe the difference playing in a lone six versus 4-4-2 or 4-2-4?

MAURICIO PINEDA: Yeah, it's a little bit different, obviously with the lone 6, maybe a little bit less coverage sometimes but also a little more help because you have three midfielders. I think in a two, sometimes it's a little more clear. One covers and it's nice to have that.

I think the team has been flexible with playing both and like I said, we have a lot of guys that can play both of those positions in the midfield and that's been nice to work with. I think it also helps us to adapt in different games, different situations, to help control the game better in whatever formation we need. That's been a positive for us.

Q. Looking back, sort of last year at this time, you guys were really fighting for the last playoff spot and grinding your way into the playoffs. This year you're fighting for top seed, home field. Does it feel different than last year, or is the mentality rather the same and the positioning is different?

MAURICIO PINEDA: That's a good question. I think it does feel a little bit different. Last year we were a relatively new team, fighting for a playoff spot that we haven't been in for a long time. That's in your mind when you're playing for sure.

I think this year, we are a little bit more mature team and like you said, fighting for the top four spots. A little bit different in that sense but I think the mentality from the group is the same. Trying to fight and get wins in the late part of the season is difficult. Squeezing everything we have from each other to try to get results.

Q. You mentioned the experience of having your brother on the trip to Charlotte. You have a lot of young players in training the last couple weeks. What do you hope they are getting out of that experience, being able to be around the first team for extended periods of time?

MAURICIO PINEDA: I think it's a great experience for them. I think, one, in the soccer aspect of it, just seeing how fast-paced and how competitive training is with the first team, I think is something that they will learn from a lot. Definitely something I learned from when I was training with the first team at a young age. Trying to adapt to that.

Also just talking to the players, I think they have a lot of experienced players on the team that they can really learn from. That's the first thing they can be trying to do is learn from older players or more experienced players, so I think that's a great opportunity for the young guys.