The Chicago Fire opened preseason yesterday at the PrivateBank Fire Pitch on the north side of the city. The event was well covered by numerous media outlets and early impressions have been good. Their new home jersey was unveiled, featuring the white stripe which supporters have been begging for. Veljko Paunovic appeared to be an engaging, organized, and energetic manager, something extremely refreshing to long time Fire fans. Pauno, Logan Pause, and Marko Mitrovic participated in several drills with players, taking a hands-on approach to the training sessions.
The Fire’s roster is quite young, with an emphasis on defensive depth that hasn’t been seen in recent years. While many aging players were shed in the offseason, there is also the potential for a surprising amount of carryover starters in the attack and midfield. It would not be a surprise if none of the team’s draft picks, including Brandon Vincent, got the start on opening day. Paunovic suggested that the Men in Red will operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation, so let’s take a look at a potential Fire depth chart using only players currently signed by the team:
Some first impressions:
-This is the same formation that Frank Yallop claimed he wanted to play, and we all know how that turned out. Paunovic has mentioned that flexibility is a hallmark of his tactics, so take the formation as a suggestion, not a rule.
-The frequently mentioned European center backs the Fire are pursuing will go a long way towards shoring up the defense. At least one more starting quality CB is needed to prevent this defense from leaking goals. Eric Gehrig is still recovering from injury and Joao Meira and Jon Campbell are newcomers to MLS.
-Besides center back, the next spots on the field that need attention are the wings. Michael Stephens can play on the right side but prefers a central role. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Alex Morrell or Vincent Mitchell make the squad, especially considering Rodriguez has stated his next priority after defense is central midfield, not the wings.
-It is crucial that Razvan Cocis was re-signed. Having Cocis, Matt Polster, and Stephens all available in central midfield will help solidify a team with a totally rebuilt back line.
For all the talk about “blowing the whole thing up” after last season, the Fire could potentially have 8 of their starting 11 players carry over from last year. Shedding major salary cap hits in Patrick Nyarko, Mike Magee, Adailton, and Jeff Larentowicz, they can potentially start the season with a lineup familiar in its own tendencies. Carryover minutes are a crucial stat in MLS, and an experienced lineup with fresh depth behind it may pay dividends for the Fire in 2016.
