Chicago Fire: 5 bold predictions for 2020
By Adnan Bašić
4. Sapong becomes the starting striker
Robert Beric was signed by the Chicago Fire to be their DP center-forward. Brought in from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne, he has scored countless goals across all of Europe and has experience on the international stage as well. With Nikolic now gone, the pressure is on Beric to grab most of the goals for the team.
However, he’s got some tough competition. CJ Sapong will be looking to build upon his impressive 2019 season. Starting off as a backup for Nikolic, the Hungarian’s loss of form gave Sapong the chance to start on a regular basis. He made the most of it, finding the back of the net 12 times over the course of the campaign. There’s a possibility that the same scenario plays out this year as well.
Acclimating to life in MLS is very tough. There is always the chance Beric fails to deliver. Even if he turns out to be a success, there will still be spells were the demands of the league get to him, opening the door for Sapong to play up top instead. It’ll be a good kind of selection headache for Chicago head coach Raphael Wicky, who knows he’s got two strikers he can rely upon.