A new era begins in Chicago Fire history in 2008 as the former assistant coach Denis Hamlett assumes control of the club as the fourth head coach in team history. Shortly after Fire President and General Manager John Guppy selected Hamlett to lead the club, he named former Fire forward Frank Klopas as the technical director. The new coaching staff has some familiar names on it with Mike Jeffries, Daryl Shore and former Fire captain Chris Armas, who hung up his boots after the 2007 season but returns to the bench as an assistant coach.
GOALKEEPERS
Chicago will once again have a new face in the net for a second consecutive year, a departure from the nine years of consistency the team enjoyed with former Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton. With the off-season loss of former starter Matt Pickens to Europe in a January departure, the Fire will look toward the capable hands of veteran Jon Busch to take the first team position. The New York native joined the team in 2007, and played a support role for the Fire, recording full 90 minute efforts in two league regular season games as well as third round match against the Carolina RailHawks in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The experienced 31-year keeper spent five years with the Columbus Crew from 2002 through, helping the Ohio club hoist the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title. Behind Busch are second-year pro Nick Noble and draftee Dominic Cervi, who was called into the U-23 National Team training camp.
DEFENDERS
Veterans C.J. Brown and Diego Gutierrez will once again anchor the Chicago defense in 2008 with their experience and leadership. The "Men in Red" defense will benefit from 2007 Fire Defender of the Year honoree and Costa Rican international Gonzalo Segares on the left side, in addition to Colombian international Wilman Conde, who proved to be breakout signing in a central role in 2007. Third year defender Dasan Robinson returns and will work from his customary right back position. Former midfielder Brian Plotkin has now slotted into a defensive role this off season, and will battle Segares for time on the left side. Brazilian defender Bruno Menezes will challenge Robinson as he looks to break into the staring XI throughout the season. Bakary Soumare, now in his second MLS season, brings size, poise and potential as both a defender and defensive midfielder.
MIDFIELDERS
Despite the retirement of long-time "Fire Original" midfielder Chris Armas, the Chicago midfield is still left in good hands. While Justin Mapp missed time with the team due to injury and national team duty in 2007, the midfielder has fully recovered to provide speed and skill from the left side of the pitch. Chris Rolfe, who saw time on the right flank late last season, was utilized in a similar role throughout the 2008 preseason and may see most of his first team minutes in the midfield due to his versatility. Rolfe, fresh from preseason training camps with the U.S. Men's National team, could be asked to be a two-way player by facilitating transition into the attack, while using his athleticism to provide defensive efforts on the right side. Cuauhtémoc Blanco will once again provide the flair and exciting play for which he is known from the attacking midfield role. Blanco's vision on the field, as well as his ability to place pin-point accurate freekicks will prove for a second consecutive year why Chicago recruited the Mexican international for the coveted Designated Player position. In the defensive midfield role, fans can look for six year veteran Logan Pause to provide the balance between the back and the attack through workman-like effort. A sizable crop of young players will provide more depth, with second year attacker Mike Banner, and rookies Kai Kasiguran and Stephen King the most likely candidates to see first-team minutes in 2008.
FORWARDS
The 2008 season welcomes a few new, a few familiar, and a few old faces to the Fire attacking core. With the addition of Polish international Tomasz Frankowski and Costa Rican international Andy Herron rejoining the Fire, as well as returning forwards Chad Barrett and Calen Carr, Hamlett will have a hard time deciding which two will be the starters in his 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 formations. Frankowski comes to the Fire with a wealth of international experience and will bring the flair for scoring goals that he exhibited while with Wisla Krakow. Herron returns to the Fire after a year with Columbus. Herron knows the team, and should fit back into the roster seamlessly. Barrett should benefit from the experience gained under former Fire captain and current U.S. Men's U-23 head coach Peter Nowak, participating in several training camps in advance of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. With Barrett picked to represent the U.S., the Fire will miss his strong offensive efforts in mid-season. Rounding out the Fire attack is speedster Calen Carr, whose pace up top make him a constant asset, and Virgina Tech Universty standout Patrick Nyarko, the Fire's first round (seventh overall) in the 2008 SuperDraft.
