Chicago Fire: Is There Hope For the Future?
The Chicago Fire have struggled this season, and have the lowest amount of points in all of MLS. However, there is reason to believe that Chicago can become a force to be reckoned with in the second half of the season and beyond.
This season has been arguably one of the toughest in recent memory for fans of the Chicago Fire. The Fire currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference with just 14 points from 15 matches, and have scored the lowest amount of goals in the conference with 15. Even as the current laughingstock of the league, there are things going for the Fire right now that could make them a team to start taking seriously sooner rather than later.
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They are just now getting a full squad. Three Chicago players are expected to return from injury this weekend against Toronto FC. Midfielders Matt Polster and Arturo Alvarez, normal regulars in the Fire midfield, as well as 19-year-old midfielder Collin Fernandez, are cleared to play for the first time since June 15, June 18, and May 11, respectively. The Fire also just got Dutch international John Goossens back after he sustained an injury in April. Goossens scored his first MLS goal in Chicago’s last match, a 1-0 victory over San Jose. Speaking of Dutch internationals, on top of the team getting healthy, summer signing Michael de Leeuw will be eligible to play in his first MLS game for the Fire this weekend.
Their young players are starting to show their talent. With 25-year-old David Accam starting to repeat his production from a year ago, more of the young boys for Chicago are starting to follow suit. 22-year-old homegrown player Joey Calistri bagged his first MLS goal just a couple of weeks ago as did 22-year-old Senegal international Khaly Thiam. Of the back four that conceded just one goal in the last two matches for the Fire, both wins, no player is older than 25. One member of the quartet, 21-year-old Rodrigo Ramos, on loan from Brazilian club Coritiba, was named to last week’s MLS Team of the Week. And let’s not forget that star goalkeeper Sean Johnson is still just 27.
They are starting to build confidence. The Fire have won two straight matches, including a U.S. Open Cup fixture against Columbus and an MLS victory last weekend against San Jose. It is the first time all year that Chicago has won consecutive matches. With a team full of young players, if the Fire start to have success, that can spell danger for other teams, no matter what the records are. Including the Open Cup, Accam has five goals in the last six matches for the Fire, and seems to be working well with Goossens, who appears to be returning to form. Ramos is coming into form as well. Coach Veljko Paunovic is also finally beginning to trust Johnson after not playing him once until mid-May.
The Fire have shown they can win matches, but the real question is whether they can continue this run of form. The next big hurdle for the Fire: a 32-match road winless streak that stretches back almost two full calendar years. They will have a chance to break that streak Saturday as they head up north to take on Toronto FC.