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MLS Week 1: First impressions of all 24 teams

By Christopher Dodson

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 3: Los Angeles FC's head coach Bob Bradley prior to Los Angeles FC's MLS match against Sporting Kansas City at the Banc of California Stadium on March 3, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles FC won the match 2-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 3: Los Angeles FC's head coach Bob Bradley prior to Los Angeles FC's MLS match against Sporting Kansas City at the Banc of California Stadium on March 3, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles FC won the match 2-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images) /
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CARSON, CA – MARCH 2: Zlatan Ibrahimovic #9 of Los Angeles Galaxy scores a goal as David Ousted #1 of Chicago Fire tries to keep it out of the net during the Los Angeles Galaxy’s MLS match against Chicago Fire at the Dignity Health Sports Park on March 2, 2019 in Carson, California. Los Angeles Galaxy won the match 2-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – MARCH 2: Zlatan Ibrahimovic #9 of Los Angeles Galaxy scores a goal as David Ousted #1 of Chicago Fire tries to keep it out of the net during the Los Angeles Galaxy’s MLS match against Chicago Fire at the Dignity Health Sports Park on March 2, 2019 in Carson, California. Los Angeles Galaxy won the match 2-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images) /

Chicago Fire

There are many reasons for optimism for the Fire. Aleksandar Katai and Przemysław Frankowski will be good role models for  Djordje Mihailovic. Those three look to create many more chances than last year’s team. David Ousted will provide better goalkeeping than Chicago has had in years. And the midfield is still one of the best in the business. Yet still, some days will end in disappointment because of the weak points in the defensive third.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and the Fire defense could not keep Zlatan in check for the full 90 minutes, so the team heads home with no points. The Fire defenders as a group will be outmuscled by most MLS forwards, not just Zlatan, sadly.

As was the problem last year in Philadelphia, CJ Sapong needs several chances to score the most basic of goals. Though provided with decent service all game, Sapong needed a Galaxy mistake to find the net. The Fire’s lack of finishing really stood out. Adding Nemanja Nikolic (and perhaps Nicolas Gaitan) to the line-up and pushing Sapong to the bench is a step towards solving that problem. Once fully healthy, the Fire should experiment with more attackers further up the pitch. Dax McCarty and Bastian Schweinsteiger should be able to patrol midfield from deep against most MLS opponents.

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