After winning three of their first four games, the Chicago Fire earned just one victory in their next 11 league matches. Sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and the All-Star break approaching, President and CEO John Guppy knew it was time to make a change.
On Friday, Guppy announced former MetroStars assistant Juan Carlos Osorio would be the club's new head coach. Osorio was officially introduced Monday.
"Today is obviously an exciting day for everyone associated with the Chicago Fire," Guppy said Monday at a press conference at Toyota Park. "There is no doubt in my mind that under the leadership of Juan Carlos, we will have a third successful coach to take this organization forward not only for the remainder of this year but into the future."
Osorio takes over for interim coach Denis Hamlett after Dave Sarachan was relieved of his duties on June 20. Osorio will make his MLS coaching debut this Thursday when the Fire play host to Houston Dynamo on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. CT.
"His style, his perspective, his new ideas and his new energy [are] exactly what we need here at the Chicago Fire," Guppy added. "He is in my opinion a unique and special individual who brings a unique set of experiences from his time as a player."
Osorio has experience as both a player and as a coach, most recently as the manager for CD Los Millonarios, the most successful franchise in the Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (Copa Mustang). In 2007, Osorio led his club to an 11-6-7 record and a fourth-place finish out of 18 teams in the Mustang Cup. Millonarios also qualified for the 2006 Copa Sudamericana, one of the top club competitions in South America.
A native of Santa Rosa del Cabal, Colombia, Osorio served as an assistant with English Premier League side Manchester City from 2001-06 and worked with the MetroStars from 2000-01.
Osorio has found success wherever he has gone because of his dedication and intensity to the game. While he admits that he doesn't know much about MLS, he's eager to learn over the next few months.
"I am the first to admit I don't know the league very well but there is one thing I can say about myself is the dedication I have for this job," Osorio said. "There are many ways to get familiar with this league and I will be getting that knowledge very soon."
While Osorio might not know specifics about the league yet, he does know that soccer is growing in America and MLS is gaining more interest internationally. Wanting to be a part of that is a big reason why Osorio decided to take the job.
"Football in America is growing and I want to be a part of that," he said. "I think the MLS is growing and a perfect example of that is how well the international team does at the international level. I think there are many more American players in Europe than South America, which shows the recognition they are getting throughout the world."
Osorio won't be the only new addition to the Fire. Once the Copa America is over, Mexico's Cuauhtemoc Blanco will join the team as an added threat in the attack, and hopefully not as the controversial player he is sometimes known to be.
"As a player, the talent is there for everyone to see. As a person, I hope we can manage all this energy in the right way," Osorio said of his new star. "When he comes and sees what the club is all about, he will be very happy and we will have no problems with him."
The Fire will need the offensive help, as they are averaging only 0.87 goals a game and have scored two goals or more just twice this season. But even with the Fire struggling this season, Osorio will do his best to improve the team to get them in the right direction heading toward the playoffs and the future.
"I respect that all my efforts plus all the efforts from John [Guppy] and players will pay dividends and we will have a successful team for the rest of the season and seasons to come," he said.
Ben Masur is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
