Chicago Fire Notebook: Gastón Giménez makes his Paraguay debut

Chicago Fire midfielder Gastón Giménez made his debut for Paraguay Thursday night, playing 81 minutes in a 2-2 draw in a World Cup qualifier with Peru. “Tonga,” who had previously appeared in a friendly for Argentina, made a one time switch through FIFA to represent Paraguay.

Miguel Navarro could make his senior national team debut tonight for Venezuela against Colombia. What’s more, Navarro and Giménez could meet next week when Paraguay and Venezuela face off. If it happens, it’ll be just the seventh time two Fire players have met in an international match. Hot Time’s Alex Campbell looked at all of the other times it’s happened.

Sticking with the South American theme, new Fire defender Carlos Terán finally arrived in the United States. The giant Colombian defender posed for photos Thursday in Bridgeview. He signed with the Fire back in August, but it took a long time for him to get here because of COVID-related travel restrictions.

Finally, when the Fire host D.C. United on Sunday night at Soldier Field (6:30 p.m. CT, WGN & ESPN+), it’ll mark the first time in a decade that D.C. will play without Ben Olsen as head coach. With D.C. in last place in the East with just 11 points, Olsen was fired Thursday. Chad Ashton has assumed the role of interim head coach.