Chicago Fire: 5 key players to watch for in 2020

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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Chicago Fire, Ignacio Aliseda
Argentina’s Defensa y Justicia midfielder Ignacio Aliseda (L) celebrates after scoring against Argentina’s Banfield during their Copa Sudamericana round of sixteen second leg football match at Florencio Sola stadium in Banfield, Argentina on September 27 , 2018. (Photo by JAVIER GONZALEZ TOLEDO / AFP) (Photo credit should read JAVIER GONZALEZ TOLEDO/AFP via Getty Images)

3. Ignacio Aliseda

Another new addition for the Chicago Fire is Ignacio Aliseda, though he is a much different type of signing than Robert Beric.

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He’s certainly a much riskier acquisition. Only 19 years old, Aliseda was brought in as a Young Designated Player from Argentina after impressing early on in his career. A very dangerous winger, he uses his raw speed and dribbling ability to blow past defenders in an instant. He does need to work on his clinical streak in the final third, but that will come with age. The more he scores and assists, the more he will grow in confidence and in stature.

His size is the main worry as the Argentine is only 5’7” and weighs about 150 pounds. MLS is a very physical league, which could lead to Aliseda getting bullied off the ball. If he’s clever, however, he could become a nightmare for others to deal with, especially if he learns to use his frightening speed and agility to his advantage.

Only time will tell if Aliseda is a groundbreaking kind of signing like Miguel Almiron, but he certainly has the talent. And if he can put it all together, Chicago might well have a steal.