CHICAGO, IL-Two matches into the new season and two clean sheets. That’s not too bad for Chicago Fire FC with a totally different team on the pitch and new coach leading the way.
Chicago Fire FC ended in a 0-0 draw against visiting Orlando City on Saturday at Soldier Field, but with a couple of draws early on is that enough starting the season? It’s not victories that gets you three points for each one and it’s not losses leaving without any points in the standings at all. At least the Fire has something to show for its two matches at Inter Miami and now against Orlando City. It’s a couple of points and something to work from for their upcoming matches ahead of them.
“It’s not too concerning, because we have enough quality in getting the goals and the goals will come,” Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson said. “At least the defensive part of it is intact. If we continue to keep teams at zero, then get the attacking part of it going. Right now, it’s just a couple of games into the season. As a major concern, we need to see goals and goals win games.”
At least defensively, the Fire has showed that they can been pretty good on the backline, and it has taken more of a team effort so far. Those on the backline included Miguel Navarro, Rafael Czichos, Wyatt Omsberg and Boris Sekulic.
“We have to totally buy in what we’re trying to do in defending as a team,” Hendrickson said. “We put ourselves in trouble when we hold the ball too long, as a team working, we’re totally buying in on the pitch and it’s helping us defensively. We do have good defenders, but the team defending as well, we have to continue to do that. We have the guys, and the goals will come.”
In two matches, there were some comparisons between the two and it still left the Fire without goals but they are working together more as a group.
“Compared to last week (Inter Miami), we created more chances and opportunities, plus we were in better positions to score,” Hendrickson said. “Still, not enough chances to create from this team like last week.”
Before the match against Orlando City, the coaching staff expressed the importance of what the Fire wants to have going forward in matches.
“What we talked about to this team before this game was 3 key values that this organization and all supporters hold sacred,” Hendrickson said. “That’s tradition, honor and passion. (Here in this one), we saw the tradition if you’re not going to win the game, you’re not going to win the game. Because they will not let you score. We talked about honor, to fight and do whatever it takes. We dealt with passion, we had some yellow cards, I don’t mind that because guys are fighting. We know that this is a hard-working city, we want to show that every week that we set foot on the pitch. That we’re a hard-working team. To continue to do that we can be a successful team.”
It’s still a work in progress for Chicago during the week in practices and getting on the field. Chemistry and seeing the process of getting there will show down the road.
“This is something that’s going to go step-by-step,” Fire defender Navarro said. “We have a new coach with new ideas, and I think with each game we’re going to start getting better, and find our rhythm.”
Seventeen-year-old, Gabriel Slonina recorded his second straight clean sheet this season in goal and now has 6 shutouts in just 13 appearances in his career.
