OTF Roundtable: Chicago Fire Week Four
Certainly, we all love #QuincyTime, but is it enough? (photo: chicagotribune.com)
Winless through four games, is it time for Fire Nation to press the panic button on the Men in Red, or remain patient? OTF’s Roundtablers ponder the question…
After the away draw against DC United, it seems to be business as usual: Chicago Fire accepts away draws, no matter the opponent.
Among the fanbase, there seemed to be a consensus after the Portland match that a draw at a tough place to get a result was good. But should we accept one against DC United? After last season, we know what a slow start can do.
Is it time to press the panic button, or should we realize and accept that Chicago Fire is a club in transition and grant it time and patience accordingly?
Brendan Carr
Business as Usual? I am and always will be a fan of Chicago Fire Soccer Club. I was born and raised in Chicagoland and grew up with the Fire from its inception. MLS and the Fire is the only domestic football I know.
I have seen the club’s best and its worst (Granted, we were allowed more European players in the 90s and early 2000s). Hard-fought draws are a part of the game of football — every team gets them, home and away. But if draws are what we’re accepting as the status quo, then count me out. I am not on board with this mentality. I am quite unhappy with how the 2014 season has begun.
Due in part to last season’s outcome, we know how detrimental a slow start can be. Among the masses, and perhaps the club itself, the mentality in Chicago is that we are in transition, thus draws are good. We cannot fault the players for their effort, because it is there, but you don’t get success for effort alone. So I beg the question: Is it our mindset, or is it something else?
Our Fire has quality spanning from youth to seasoned veterans, but we are missing a few pieces. The players should be challenged to go get the win, as opposed to sitting back and accepting a draw just because the match is of the road variety. Yes, it’s early, but consider my argument as food for thought.
Roberto Diaz
On its face, three out of twelve points doesn’t look too good to start a season, but I wouldn’t go into panic mode just yet. Unlike the last couple seasons, there are some silver linings so far.
Performances by guys like Amarikwa, Shipp, Joya, Cochrane, Watson, and Sean Johnson have definitely stood out, as well as Bakary Soumare’s noticeable improvement. The defense is not yet where it should be however, as seven goals in four games is a tad high. And the offense has been stagnant at times without Mike Magee at his best.
If the defense tightens up, I still believe the Fire will sneak into the Eastern Conference’s 4th place playoff spot this season and perhaps surprise everyone with a deep run in the MLS playoffs and the US Open Cup as well. Again, let’s not go crazy and panic, we’ve been here before and things improved.
With Frank Yallop we have plenty to look forward too — maybe not this season, but certainly next season once some expensive dead weight goes off the books or gets moved. All in all, this team will end up being better than last year’s come October.
Alex: Have we seen enough of him in the starting XI? (photo: soccerbyives.net)
Scott Fenwick
After the home opener at Toyota Park, I wandered over to the visitors’ locker room to chat with Red Bull head coach Mike Petke. When asked about his (dis)satisfaction with his (still winless) squad’s performance through week three, Petke reminded me that Red Bulls didn’t win their first game in 2013 until their fifth try. Afterward, they went on to win the Supporters Shield — a trophy many MLS fans consider the mark of the true champion and the actual best team in the league.
Last year at this time, as OTF’s Daniel Casey astutely reminded us earlier this week, a similarly winless Chicago Fire had only earned one point through its first four games — its lone draw the result of an ugly, bus-packing performance at SKC. Moreover, the Fire had surrendered nine goals and scored one, and had lost two home games to New England and Chivas USA. Fire Nation was in utter meltdown. But that was then and this is now.
Now, through week four, here sit the Fire at 0-1-3 after playing three of its first four matches on the road with key players having been injured and/or suspended during the short span. Now, Chicago has scored six and allowed seven. And now, the new Manager and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop, a man charged with a rebuild, is tinkering with his starting XI and tactics. Looking at the facts, no, it’s not time to push the panic button.
Certainly, we fans should keep our expectations high, and this goes for those who toil for the club as well. That said, and given the circumstances, perhaps it’s a bit paranoid and short-sighted to assume the outcomes of Chicago’s first four outings of 2014 are the result of, or have breeded, some sort of insidious resignation to mediocrity. Are the results middling? Yes. Does this mean Yallop and company aren’t trying their damnedest to get three points? No. The effort is there, and frankly, given this club’s recent past, I’ll take that right now.
MLS Fantasy owners gotta love Big Baky’s numbers so far this season (photo: usatoday.com)
Rob Thompson
It’s not yet time to push the panic button on the Men in Red, but it sure feels like it’s only about a game or two away. Consistent performance appears to be an issue with the midfield and forwards.
Benji Joya was nowhere to be found in the match versus the Dirty Birds last Saturday. Joya has been a nice injection of spark and effort, but I doubt he starts next game at right mid. Thankfully, Patrick Nyarko came in for Joya and found a way to secure the point for the Fire with the ol’ nutmeg. For the point earned, credit should be given to Nyarko more than Amarikwa. Certainly, Quincy’s finish was effective, but the “Recliner” Sherjill MacDonald could have put that one away. Well, maybe not.
Anyway, consistency is my theme here. The defense looks decent and its members are collecting points in MLS Fantasy. However, look closely and you’ll realize that’s because the ball is in the defensive third more than anywhere else on the pitch.
As a central midfielder, Alex has not produced for the team in four games (not even an assist). Look around the league at other central midfielders and you will find better production out of that role. For the offense, Larentowicz and Amarikwa lead in scoring. These facts prove the point about offensive consistency.
Fire Nation better keep its finger close to the panic button this weekend. A talented Philly Union squad comes to town this weekend, and five games without a win won’t sit well with anyone.
T.J. Zaremba
How can you hit the panic button on a team that does not have the quality to make the playoffs in the first place? On paper, the Fire doesn’t look like a contender; at best they’re on the fringe. Therefore, sharing points in three of the first four games is right in line with my expectations. This is truly a team in transition and I expect similar results throughout the season.
There are some positives that can be taken away from the results so far this season for the Team Formerly Known As The Men In Red. First is they have taken at least a point in two of their first three road matches. For a mid- to lower-level team, that’s about as good as can be expected.
Another positive is the Fire was the inferior team in three games, yet still, again, managed to gut out three draws. Finally, it is good that coach Yallop has decided to give younger players like Shipp and Joya a run and let them develop with first team minutes.
Between the lack of quality in their opponents and their long stretches of mediocrity during the run of play lies an ominous sign for the Fire: The team has been outright painful to watch at times with lousy execution, especially in transition through the midfield and getting numbers forward. The problem is Chicago has looked bad for significant periods of time against (so far) mediocre opposition.
Hopefully, as the weather improves, Chicago Fire will warm up as well. But I think the middling results seen thus far will be the norm in 2014.
****
Follow OTF Roundtablers @brendanc23, @GolazodeRobbie, @OnTheFire97, @roblthom66, & @TJZaremba on your Twitter machine.
OTF Soccer 
I’m not sure about this criticism of Alex, certainly any player’s performance is open to be scrutinized, but nearly every decent looking attack has gone through Alex. As one of the commentators mentions “These facts prove the point about offensive consistency.” But football isn’t baseball, you can’t just look at a stat sheet and figure out who the top performers have been. Alex has led with penetrating balls that have turned into goals (although they didn’t turn up on the stat sheet). and Could have easily had at least 2 goals if it weren’t for keepers making insane saves etc.
I’m not saying don’t switch up the line up. We should experiment and if something proves more effective then we should make the adjustment but I just don’t know if Alex’s 0 goal, 0 assist tally is something to be harking over.
Any idea what Alex’s key pass numbers are?
I’ll take the liberty of answering my own question. Alex has three key passes in four games. To me, this is not enough for a central attacking midfielder. I’ve watched Alex for two years now. Given the current roster, I think he’s best suited as a super sub who can come in at CM or on the wing. Last year, I liked what I saw out of him from a defensive standpoint.