CHICAGO, Ill. – A calculated and ambitious offseason rebuild has propelled perennial strugglers the Chicago Fire into one of the most intriguing propositions in MLS.
The stellar acquisition of a quartet of proven performers has given last season’s bottom club a renewed sense of vigor and confidence, and a belief that it can return to its position of contender after so many years on the periphery. Established MLS midfielders Dax McCarty and Juninho, former Legia Warsaw striker Nemanja Nikolic and experienced Uruguayan goalkeeper Jorge Bava have arrived to augment the roster, and there remains the prospect that more quality additions will come.
Enthused general manager Nelson Rodriguez, who welcomed media to the PrivateBank Fire Pitch for the first day of preseason training on Monday, spoke with typical authority as he discussed the assembly of what he sees as a more experienced and successful squad than last year. One he believes can compete for a place in the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
“You’d like to think so,” Rodriguez admitted when asked if he was more confident entering his second season as GM. “This group is very different than last year’s group. We feel really good that what we brought into the locker room are guys who bring with them trophies and medals. Bava’s won trophies and medals, Dax has won medals, Juninho has won medals, Nikolic has won medals and I think that’s very important.
"You can talk about all these clever ways to change culture, but the best way to have a winning team is to have winners as part of your team. With those four guys at least we’ve added certified winners.”
A relaxed and understandably optimistic head coach Veljko Paunovic was equally bullish about his new recruits.
“I think we have more guys who are champions, who were champions, who have more experience and guys who actually know how to deal with difficult situations,” Paunovic said.
Despite the additions already made, Rodriguez and Paunovic might not be finished assembling what they hope to be a much more competitive side in 2017 that can improve on Chicago's last-place record (7-17-10) from 2016. Adding depth at right back and landing an attack-minded central midfielder remain atop their list of priorities, but overall team depth is also an ongoing consideration for both men.
“We do have a couple of trialists that will be with us [defenders Drew Beckie and Boyd Okwuonu], we still have Johan Kappelhof who has experience at right back, and Michael Harrington who has experience at right back, so we feel the position is covered,” Rodriguez said. “We would like to add some depth to that position and I’ll take this opportunity to say that every position is open for competition. No one should expect that anyone’s job is granted or given by virtue of contract or seniority.”
Likewise, midfield reinforcements are high on the Fire’s radar, but whether that’s a central playmaker type or a marauding right winger to complement David Accam on the left, remains to be seen. It’s possible both could become a possibility, especially if Rodriguez continues to use the bounty of Targeted Allocation Money and General Allocation Money that the club has accumulated wisely.
“Again, we can always look to improve,” Rodriguez insisted when asked if midfield was an area the Fire were looking to strengthen. “I view, and I think Pauno views, the midfield as the engine to any team. A 34-game season is long, this is a league that tests physical and mental strength over a long period of time and I think if we can find a good midfielder to add to the mix we would do so.”
Who that player [or players] might be is still anyone’s guess, and given the surprising and perhaps left-field nature of their signings to date, there are sure to be more twists on the transfer front for the Fire.
Manchester United’s Sebastian Schweinsteiger and PSV Eindhoven’s Andres Guardado continue to be linked with a move to Chicago, and Paunovic suggested that something could still happen with his closing remarks to the group when pressed on the club’s interest in the German.
“The market is open," he said with a smile. "We will see what happens.”
