1998 MLS Cup Champions Chicago Fire narrowly missed out on making the playoffs in 2019 as they finished in eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Fire went unbeaten in their last five regular-season matches, but they were out of contention before Decision Day, with the New England Revolution beating them to the final postseason berth.
Chicago have now failed to make the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons and they have not been victorious in a postseason clash in a decade. While there were some strong performances at stages this season, this was a largely disappointing campaign, one that saw Veljko Paunovic sacked this offseason.