by Dan Giachas, Windy City Soccer
Last year was one best forgotten for the Chicago Fire and its supporters. The team set a dubious record of 18 draws in a single season, a club record-low for wins with six, Mike Magee and Patrick Nyarko going down to long-term injuries, the Jermaine Jones fiasco, a lousy pitch, and people openly questioning owner Andrew Hauptman’s commitment to the team.
No fewer than 17 players who were on the roster last season are no longer here. Thirteen new players have been brought in by Head Coach Frank Yallop and Technical Director Brian Bliss including three new Designated Players in Kennedy Igboananike, David Accam, and Shaun Maloney. With that, there is at least caution optimism. With that, here are three hopes and one fear for the Fire in 2015:
Hope #1: New DPs make an impact.
Quite a few DPs have come to Bridgeview since Cuauhtemoc Blanco came in 2007, and every single one of them has been a bust. I won’t mention any names (not even the ex-Sounders who came via trades). In the offseason, Frank Yallop raided the Scandinavian Leagues to get two DPs in Igboananike and Accam, and then got Shaun Maloney from Wigan Athletic. All three is expected to liven up the attack as the Fire lacked an attacking option between the flanks in midfield and Quincy Amarikwa was often alone on an island—especially with Magee and Nyarko out. This year could be different if Maloney, Igoboananike, and Accam (once he recovers from a groin strain) will be able to give the Fire a much-needed spark up front especially with Magee and Nyarko still recovering from injuries.
Hope #2: Defense and midfield Improve.
Jeff Larentowicz will likely move to center back and withe Adailaton or Eric Gehrig will join him. Lovel Palmer and Joevin Jones will likely be the wing backs. Defense (especially on set pieces) was a sore point for the Fire last year. Putting Larentowicz in the back may ease some worries about the new-look back four.
How the Fire use Harry Shipp and Shaun Maloney will be of interest. Shipp had a fantastic rookie year, but hit the wall as it took time getting used to a seven-month season as opposed to a three-month season in college soccer. Maloney will be the main playmaker and that’s something the Fire sorely lacked for the last couple years. Matt Watson will be the workhorse from box-to-box and Michael Stephens could fill-in while Razvan Cocis is out.
If these two areas improves, assuming Sean Johnson retains his form in goal, the forwards should follow.
Hope #3: The effort is enough to win games.
Frank Yallop bemoaned the lack of a difference maker last season who could convert draws into wins. Mike Magee had a horrible year even before getting hurt and Patrick Nyarko was hurt most of the year. No one was questioning the effort on the pitch, it just wasn’t talented enough to challenge for a playoff. If Mike Magee’s quotes from Monday’s Season Kickoff Luncheon are anything to go by, the effort will be there again, plus the difference makers to win games and make the playoffs for only the second time in six seasons.
One Fear: None of the above happens.
I mentioned how every single designated player that has been brought in since Andrew Hauptman has owned the club has been a bust. David Accam is likely to miss Friday’s opener against LA with a groin strain. We’ll see how Kennedy Igboananike handles MLS play and Shaun Maloney has shown some promise. That said, should any of them take too long to come to form, it could be trouble for the Fire.
Also potential trouble is if the defense is picked apart early on and the midfield is largely ineffective in attack. They have to get the ball to whomever is upfront and hopefully he/they won’t be left alone on an island.
The Fire started last season with an eight-match winless streak and almost ended it with a nine-match winless streak (but for a 90th minute strike by the departed Florent Sinama-Pongolle against Houston in the final match of the season). There is cautious optimism that things have bottomed out and the Fire will go on the uptick. If none of the aforementioned hopes are realized, though, it will for certainly be a fifth season out of six out of the playoffs and more questions of commitment for Andrew Hauptman to answer.
