Quote:
Five big questions for Chicago Fire
With the 2009 season in the rearview mirror, here are the answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding the Chicago Fire as the club prepares for 2010:
WHAT DO THE FIRE NEED TO DO TO REACH MLS CUP IN 2010?
There is a simple answer to this question, and it is "make more penalty kicks." The Fire missed out on MLS Cup because they saw three PKs saved by Real Salt Lake's Nick Rimando, but they all went to the same place, on the ground to Rimando's left.
But the Fire would not have needed penalty kicks if they could convert on any of the many chances they had in the Eastern Conference Championship. In fact, the entire season was one where the ratio between chances to score and actually scoring seemed unusually low.
The Fire did not re-sign coach Denis Hamlett, and figure to go out and find a coach with a more attacking offensive game plan.
While the Fire had 11 players score, no one managed more than seven goals. Brian McBride missed two months with injury, keeping his total down. Three of Cuauhtemoc Blanco's five goals were on penalty kicks.
The Fire finished with 39 goals in 30 games, tied for sixth in the league, but expected more offensively with McBride and Blanco on the roster.
The Fire were also unable to generate scoring from the outside backs when Gonzalo Segares and Tim Ward missed the last two months due to injury.
WHAT WAS THE TEAM'S BEST MOMENT IN '09?
The Fire played their first 11 games without a loss. Yes, six of them were draws, but they were not beaten, even though they played seven of those 11 games on the road. Some of those draws were comeback draws, an indication the team did not put its head down once it got down a goal or two, which worked to their favor in the first round of the playoffs against New England.
After winning five of the first 11, the Fire had only six wins in the final 19 games of the season.
WHO SHOWED THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON?
The Fire got contributions from so many young players, and needed them because of all the injuries they endured. Draft pick Baggio Husidic looked dangerous and poised in the middle, Stefan Dimitrov looked effective at forward, and young defenders Austin Washington and Daniel Woolard got significant playing time in back. Peter Lowry, who finally got to play after a full year of inactivity on the roster, ended up sixth in scoring on the team with three goals in just nine games and 659 minutes played.
But forward Patrick Nyarko was the young star on the team. He took over at forward at the start of the season when Chris Rolfe had a stomach virus, and he never let go of the spot. His playing time changed a bit as the season wore on, but he ended up with 22 starts and four goals, finishing fourth on the team.
He also was one of the team leaders in offside calls against him, which would be an area of growth the team could look toward.
WHAT RESERVES ARE MOST READY TO CRACK THE STARTING LINEUP?
The Fire are going to have to rebuild their back line, especially if Segares can't be re-signed, and Wilman Conde leaves as well. Woolard is an aggressive and strong defender, albeit short for the position, and played a strong outside back when he was healthy. Unfortunately, he had two high ankle sprains, one on each foot, that limited his playing time.
Lowry will probably move into a midfield role with the departure -- at least until the World Cup -- of Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and Justin Mapp could perhaps rejoin the starting unit.
WHAT AREA OF THE TEAM NEEDS THE MOST IMPROVEMENT?
The defense will need to be rebuilt, but that is more finding bodies and plugging them in. The scoring attack appears to need the most work. If McBride returns, he and Nyarko will have to learn to work together, and Dimitrov will be in the mix as well. Veteran Calen Carr, who made a successful return from an MCL tear, still has speed but did not worked with the first unit all season.