Chris Brady Reflects on International Window with U.S. Olympic Team

It all came together rather quickly, but Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady made the most of his international break with the United States Men’s Olympic Soccer Team in March.

Brady was called into Olympic Team head coach Marko Mitrović’s squad at the last minute after former Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina was ruled out for the international window with an injury, giving the current Chicago goalkeeper very little time to prepare for his European trip. Mitrović woke Brady up with the news that the Naperville native would be the second goalkeeper for the international window.

“He called me, I was sleeping, he woke me up,” Brady told On Tap Sports Net. “It was 7:00 a.m. after the Montreal game and he’s like, ‘Yeah, you have a flight at six so pack a bag, get your stuff organized.’ I had to cancel all my plans for that Sunday, get my passport, and throw together a big suitcase. But it all worked.”

After a quick drive over to Seatgeek Stadium to get his boots and gloves, Brady was on a flight to Europe that evening. While the events leading up to his flight may have caused inconveniences, Brady had no worries about everything coming together quickly, save for having to cancel his plans for what would have been a day off.

“Marko called me pretty early the day I was supposed to leave. But we’re all professionals, I do what I’m told.”

Brady started in goal and kept a clean sheet for the U.S. in their 3-0 win over Guinea in Girona, Spain. While he didn’t face many shots, Brady was active throughout the friendly.

“It was a lot of stuff with the ball at my feet. And a lot of stuff like guarding through balls and their long balls, their crosses, all that. Just staying tuned in. Those games are always the toughest where you might not have a lot of shots but you’ll have a lot of other work to do. But, I’m an all-around ‘keeper, you gotta be ready for all of it. I think myself and the backline did a pretty good job of just keeping them shut out, keeping them under wraps.”

Brady has been developing chemistry with everyone on Mitrović’s squad for months now and he said those bonds are growing stronger as this team coalesces ahead of the Olympics in Paris this summer.

“We got Maxi Dietz, JT [Jonathan Tomkinson], we got George [Campbell], some good guys back there. Outside backs are looking good so. A very solid, we’re all very disciplined. The chemistry is building so we’re getting to know each other even off the field, which helps. Super sociable guys, super professional. I’m loving it.”

The Fire’s 20-year-old goalkeeper’s role with the Olympic team was clear before he traveled to Europe: he was going to back up the Columbus Crew’s Patrick Schulte when they faced off against France. Brady wasn’t phased by having to take a backseat to someone he had gotten to know well over the past few years.

“I love him. He’s a great guy, super cool to talk to. Very relatable because we had a very similar upbringing. And obviously he took the college route, Next Pro and into MLS. It’s good catching up with him, seeing what Columbus does compared to what we do. Just good to get some perspective. But he's a super nice guy.”

Schulte got the start in their 2-2 draw against a France team whose roster was filled with players who compete in the top leagues in Europe. However, it wasn’t the French players that raised Brady’s eyebrows on the sidelines. The man who caught everyone’s attention in Montbéliard was France’s head coach and soccer legend Thierry Henry. Brady, coming into the international window with very little time to prepare, didn’t realize the former Arsenal star was the opposition’s manager until the contest started.

“I actually did not know he was coaching until I sat down on the bench. It was the 10th minute and I was like, ‘Who is their coach?’ and I looked over and it’s Henry. I’m like, ‘There’s no way.’ I didn’t know this guy was coaching.”

Accolades for the French team aside, Brady thinks his team gave them too much respect in their 2-2 draw.

“It‘s kinda crazy to think about and a lot of their players were good when we played them. We had a lot of respect, probably almost too much respect for them. I think we could’ve for sure gotten away with three points there. But, yeah, it was cool to be on the same end line as him. It was cool.”

Back with the Fire, Brady is simply looking to build off the momentum created during his international window.

“You get that boost of confidence after national team. I’m coming into training feeling good, happy to be back with the guys though.”

The Fire will need Brady to be at his best going forward if they want to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.