Chicago Fire: In defense of Francisco Calvo

Francisco Calvo might be one of the more polarizing figures at the Chicago Fire, but the Costa Rican still has his role in the team, no matter what some say.

The Chicago Fire knew they needed to find a new captain for the 2020 season. The two alternates from the year before were both gone. Dax McCarty was traded to Nashville SC, while Bastian Schweinsteiger retired. With a new head coach in charge as well, many were intrigued to see who got the armband to start the campaign.

Although Raphael Wicky didn’t formally announce who it would be for the entire season, he did make Francisco Calvo captain for the opening games against the Seattle Sounders and the New England Revolution. This showed Wicky had faith in Calvo, which some fans don’t. His performances didn’t help his cause too much, but Calvo certainly still has his role in the team.

Acquired during the middle of the 2019 season, the Fire picked up Calvo in a shrewd deal, sending various amounts of allocation money to Minnesota United. He was made available after falling out with Loons coach Adrian Heath and Chicago pounced on the opportunity to bring the defender in.

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Moved from left-back to center-back upon arrival, Calvo did help improve the backline right away. The Fire were having plenty of defensive issues before he came in, which led to legendary midfielder Schweinsteiger dropping into the back four to fix things. He stayed there when Calvo came in, but Johan Kappelhof shifted to right-back, adding cover there.

Chicago would only concede more than two goals in two games with Calvo in the team as they pushed for a playoff spot. They would ultimately fail to qualify for the postseason, but there was hope that Calvo would only be better the following year after acclimating to life with the Fire.

That has not quite been the case. Due to the aforementioned departure of Schweinsteiger, Chicago started 2020 with the pairing of Calvo and Kappelhof at the heart of the defense. They did not have their preferred right-back to begin the campaign since Boris Sekulic was dealing with visa issues and so Brandt Bronico had to cover, which cost the Fire dearly in the opening game against the Seattle Sounders.

Calvo would be more at fault in the next game versus the New England Revolution. Early on in the contest, Brandon Bye found space on the wing before whipping a cross into the area. It was hit right towards Calvo, who should have cleared with ease. However, he waited for the ball to come to him and didn’t notice New England forward Adam Buksa sneaking up behind him. Buksa poked a lovely first touch around Calvo and scored.

Calvo was simply unaware of the danger around him. That is his biggest flaw as a defender. He is too relaxed, and it leads to him not reacting fast enough to opposing attackers or getting caught ball-watching, as was the case here.

He is far from the perfect center-back, of course, but he does have quality and he has more to offer than his harshest critics would have you believe.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – MARCH 7: New England players celebrate their goal against Chicago during a game between Chicago Fire and New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on March 7, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Timothy Bouwer/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /

He is a Costa Rican international for a reason. He first featured at the international level back in 2011, representing Los Ticos at the Copa America. Calvo became a consistent presence in the team four years later and has since gone on to play in the World Cup, Gold Cup, and Nations League. Costa Rica have always been a solid team defensively and Calvo has played his part.

He makes up for his inconsistent marking by being an absolute nuisance to get past. He uses his frame very well, both blocking shots and stopping opposing forwards from dribbling by him. Sure, he lunges into tackles a bit much but it’s hard to blame him when he’s so good at winning the ball back by sliding in.

He also thrives on the ball, which makes him very useful in Wicky’s new system. The Chicago Fire now like to build out from the back, keeping possession in their own third. Calvo is comfortable passing around the back and driving up the field if need be, and he is composed enough to deal with the pressure that comes with the role.

Calvo can even pitch in going forward. He has already got three goals for Chicago, as well as scoring six for Costa Rica. He is an aerial threat, which makes him very dangerous on set pieces and crosses into the area. Now, scoring is the last thing a defender should worry about, but it’s a nice dynamic to have.

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I’m not saying Chicago Fire fans don’t have the right to be frustrated with Calvo. They do. His start to the season was not good enough, and he would be the first person to admit as much. However, to say he should be benched or traded is going a bit too far, for now. Have faith in Calvo, and he’ll make sure to repay it in due time.

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