With the final stretch of the MLS season coming up, the Chicago Fire will be gunning for one of the five playoff spots available in the Eastern Conference. To this point, the Fire’s league-leading 14 draws are not getting the job done, and Frank Yallop will need to have his squad make the most of their final ten matches.
The biggest problem when looking at Chicago, is their goal differential. The Fire have a -6 differential and place a lackluster 16th of 19 teams in MLS for that category. Neither the strikers, nor the back line, have been providing the level of play Yallop has been looking for this season.
After an MVP season last year, Mike Magee’s numbers have cooled off this season. While Magee’s seven goals in 17 matches is not a horrible stat, many in Chicago were expecting a continuation of his All-Star play from last season. Also up top, the Fire need Quincy Amarikwa to start playing up to his talent level. Amarikwa started off the season well, with five goals in the first eight games, but has done very little on the offensive front since. With his youth and athleticism, Chicago need him to to step up and lead the team in the home stretch of the regular season.
The other question mark all season for the Fire has been their back line. Bakaray Soumare, Patrick Ianni, and Gonzalo Segares are the most experienced of the defenders, as well as being physical, confident players. Through the season though, the backs have not seemed cohesive enough as a line to provide the consistency required to compete with some of the top teams in the league. The Fire’s lackluster number of only four shutouts on the year has been an example of how simple mistakes in defense have allowed teams unneeded opportunities on net. Opponents, such as Seattle and San Jose, have capitalized on, and broken down much too easily, the missteps of the backs. Frank Yallop needs his defenders communicate and work as a strong unit, to not only keep balls out of their net, but to allow his team to play from the back so they are able to work the ball up the field effectively.
With one of the best all-around keepers in Sean Johnson, as well as a talented midfield, the Fire have the players they need to outplay their opponents.
Jeff Larentowicz and Lovel Palmer are the players Yallop will want to create opportunities for the Chicago midfield heading in to the final leg of the regular season. Palmer is a versatile player who can be used in defense or the midfield, which allows him to keep a multi-faceted mindset of play and move the ball from the back effectively. Larentowicz is a midfielder with an attacking mindset, and has the ability to work through the middle to pick apart the opponent’s defense. The Fire will need these two in the middle, to create chances and move the ball up top, if they hope to make a run to the playoffs this season.
Frank Yallop has the squad in front of him to make the playoffs, but needs to work with his players on the little things that take a team from draws to wins. Chicago needs their strikers to step up and play to the level that they have shown to be capable of in the past, as well as have their back line work together as unit to cut down on simple mistakes. The Chicago Fire do not have an easy road to the MLS playoffs, but have the chance if they are willing to play the way everyone knows they can.
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