A memorable year, indeed.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that the Chicago Fire were among Google's top-trending MLS teams in 2017 as part of their annual "Year in Search," a showcase of the people, topics, places and events that drew the most attention throughout the year.
Alongside Atlanta United FC, Orlando City SC, Portland Timbers, Sporting Kansas City, Columbus Crew SC, Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquake, and D.C. United, the Fire were among searches that had the highest Google traffic spikes in 2017 as compared to 2016.
High profile player acquisitions like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Nemanja Nikolic, Dax McCarty and Juninho contributed to an increased global interest in the Men In Red, as did an elevated level of play that saw the Fire finish third in the Eastern Conference and earn their first playoff appearance since 2012.