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Chicago Fire: 5 key players to watch for in 2020

By Adnan Bašić

FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 25: Djordje Mihailovic #14 of Chicago Fire looks to pass during a game between Chicago Fire and New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/Getty Images).
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 25: Djordje Mihailovic #14 of Chicago Fire looks to pass during a game between Chicago Fire and New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/Getty Images). /
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Saint-Etienne’s Slovenian forward Robert Beric reacts after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Saint-Etienne (ASSE) and Nice (OGCN) on May 18, 2019, at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, central France. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP) (Photo credit should read JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP via Getty Images)
Saint-Etienne’s Slovenian forward Robert Beric reacts after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Saint-Etienne (ASSE) and Nice (OGCN) on May 18, 2019, at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, central France. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP) (Photo credit should read JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. Robert Beric

The main reason why the Chicago Fire did not make the playoffs last season was because they could not score enough goals. Sure, they created plenty of chances on a weekly basis, but they just failed to convert enough of those.

Nemanja Nikolic had been a Golden Boot winner in MLS, but he fell apart in 2019, missing way too many easy opportunities due to low confidence. He didn’t get much help from others, either, as CJ Sapong was the only other consistent threat going forward. That is why Chicago made sure to bring in an elite level striker in the winter, and they feel they’ve got just that in Robert Beric.

The Slovenian comes from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne, where he scored a few notable goals, like a stoppage-time diving header versus bitter rivals Lyon. He was at his best during his time with Rapid Wien in the Austrian league, where he once scored 27 goals in a single season.

A physical presence in the air and on the ground, Beric’s style should suit MLS well. He’s also a streaky striker, so if he gets hot, he could surge up the scoring charts quite quickly, carrying the Fire up the Eastern Conference standings in the process. Chicago need him to score goals, and he might do precisely that.

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