As the summer approaches, most 18-year-olds would be focused on graduating high school, prom, and getting ready for college. Most of them aren’t lining up at Soldier Field alongside a two-time European champion, nor are they aiming to qualify their country for the Olympics in a few weeks’ time, but that’s exactly what Brian Gutiérrez is doing. The teenage attacking midfielder is in his third season as a professional with the Chicago Fire, and in 2022 he is establishing himself as one of the top young players in MLS.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot over the past three seasons,” Gutiérrez told Hot Time in Old Town in an interview in Bridgeview last week.