First Up - Strikers / Attackers
Out: Colins John
Out: Stefan Dimitrov
I'm sure I didn't need to remind anyone that Brian McBride retired. It's also probably no surprise that the Fire have taken a pass on renewing Colins John's contract. Having reviewed my posts from this time last year, I was on record as saying that the John signing was "the most exciting pre-season move". We'll, the pre-season excitement gave way to regular season doldrums and John never looked like he was really trying.
The reverse was true of Brian McBride; he never looked like he was giving less than 150% on the field. Where will the Fire find that kind of on the field leadership this year? As you read on, you'll see that the list is thinning.
In: Nery Castillo
Say it ain't so Freddie! Certainly, FL was the best of the two DP deals the Fire did last year. He fought, he played through opposition, he dove spectacularly, and bled for the team and fans. He even scored several goals and made several assists. I'm a fan. However, Europe is once again seeking Freddie's services so, although the deal is not inked, it now seems more likely than not that Fred will end up back in Europe next year playing for Scotish side Celtic F.C. and will not resign with the Fire.Nery, Nery, Nery...what can you say? He started his tour of duty by showing us all, and millions of viewers on ESPN (for three weeks in a row), just how many different ways there are to be caught offside. Then he suffered some training injuries, probably brought about by his extreme lack of fitness. When he was reintroduced to the lineup, it was as a midfielder - doubtless the intention was to get him as far as possible from the offsides line without sitting him on the bench. The results were dismal; few minutes, fewer touches, zero penetration, no shots that didn't pass over the goal by a good 10 feet.
What we have seen of Nery is that he has some quick moves, good enough to make a last defender - or even two defenders - miss. We have not seen him pass dangerously, nor shoot from distance (even on restarts) with any threat. My conclusion: teach him what offsides is and move him to withdrawn striker. Hopefully, Nery has been conditioning all winter and will arrive at camp a new player.
Next Up: Midfielders
Out: Justin Mapp
Out: John Thorington
Out: Peter Lowry
In: Logan Pause
In: Bratislav Ristic
First off, I felt compelled to mention the departure of Justin Mapp, even though it occurred during the regular season, because Justin's departure (during his best season in years) was precipitated by the signing of Freddie L - who's services we are now all but certain to loose. That's a bitter pill.
Thor and Peter Lowry were both selected during the expansion draft by Portland and Vancouver. So, not only will we loose their services, like Mapp, we'll have to play against them. Gaaarrg!
The one position that is not in flux this year is that of Holding Midfielder / Stopper. Logan Pause will again be in a Fire jersey for the 2011 season. He is now a frosty haired veteran and the longest serving player on the Fire squad - including the entire coaching staff and the Board Room.
And YES!! Bratislav Ristic will be returning to the team in 2011! I admit, I haven't been this amped about a new player since Marco Pappa debued. After watching the Red Star Belgrade games, I was lusting after some Serbian dynamism. Ristic proved he's got what it takes to make a difference. I think he would have been an even bigger impact last year if we had had a potent wing defender to support him. As it was, Ristic played more of a defender last season than an attacking midfielder. If we can remedy that and get him set loose in the other teams defensive third, it should be fun to watch. At least, I'm sure the body count will go up and he and Segaras may be competing for team yellow card leader.
Remaining in the lineup to compete for midfield posts: Patrick Nyarko, Marco Pappa, Baggio Husidic, Mike Banner, Corben Bone, and Victor Pineda (a 17 year old local signed from the Fire development system)
On to...The Defense
Out: C.J. Brown
Out: Wilman Conde
Out: Krystof Krol
In: Gonzolo Segares
In: Cory Gibbs
OUCH!! If Defense wins Championships, we are hurting, big time. I don't know about you, but I was not overly impressed with the fire defense last year. They were individually skilled, but had a propensity for stunning unforced errors and miscues. It's one thing to be broken down by excellent ball movement and skill, but quit another to let the ball pass between your legs, over your head, or to pass the ball directly to the other team's forward! So, in one sense, the departing players represent both some of the most skilled defenders, but also some of the most frequent offenders when it came to bone-headed play last year. Still they will not be easy to replace.
On the bright side, Gonzo is signed with the team and the Fire has acquired Cory Gibbs from the Revs. Gibbs is a veteran very reminiscent of C.J., so he's bound for the center back. Which would be good, because otherwise we will end up wasting Gonzo in the center when we really need him behind Marco or Ristic.
The other potential bright spot (for me at least) is returning second year player Steven Kinney. Yes, reports of his death (mostly be me) turned out to be greatly exaggerated. I look forward to Kinney as the counter balance to Gonzo.
Remaining on the squad to compete for defender slots: Daisan Robinson, Mike Banner, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, and Deris Umanzor.
Other notable substitutions and departures:
Out: The Kansas City Wizards
In: Sporting Kansas City
Jumping on the "Let's Sound European" band wagon, KC has dropped their name in favor of the Sporting Kansas City moniker. New Jerseys, New Logo. Since a "sporting club" necessarily competes in more than one sport, I wondered what the other sports represented in the Sporting K.C. stable might be. Turns out there really is another sport - LaCross.
Out: Community America Ballpark
In: K.C. Soccer Stadium
Finally, no more games will be played at the postage stamp masquerading as a soccer field, Community America Ballpark. Of course, with the change of venue, K.C. will loose one of the most daunting home field advantages enjoyed by any MLS franchise. Lot's of teams have rabid fans, but only KC had a special set of restarts and transition plays developed just for their crazy short home field.
Out: Best Buy
In: Moe's Weiner Wagon
Well, maybe not Moe's Weiner Wagon, but the Fire are purportedly looking for a locally based Jersey Sponsor to replace Best Buy, which will not be renewing their Jersey Sponsorship deal in 2011. Their reason for leaving? Marrisa Vanez, Best Buy's V.P. of Advertising stated "We realize the the Chicago Fire are an organization dedicated to professionalism and customer [fan] service - and those values just don't mesh with Best Buy's corporate culture." [yes, Best Buy gave me a hassle returning something recently]
Speaking of customer service...
Out: The Entire Season Ticket Holder Account Manager Staff
In: A top of the line answering machine purchased at a discount from Best Buy
Need I say more. Farewell and good luck to Julie Jawor in particular. I hope the Fire can maintain the high expectations you upheld for all your clients.
And more notables...
Out: The 24 man roster
In: The new 30 man roster
Out: The 30 game regular season
In: The 34 game regular season
In: The Reserve Squad
More games, More players, and the return of the Reserve Squad. Not bad. Our ticket package remains 20 games. Now, 17 of those will be regular season MLS games, leaving 3 bonus games. Each MLS team will play every other team twice - once home and once away. There's lots to be said for the balance and equity of that schedule, but it doesn't leave the opportunity to stack up games for regional or historic rivalries. Regardless, the extra players will be a bonus to the team, especially with the reintroduction of the Reserve Squad.
The Summary: Currently the Fire have 18 men on the roster, leaving 12 slots to fill their 30 man roster. There are some special rules, like only so many players can be foreign and some slots are set aside for home grown players (a big advantage for the Fire given their strong player development squad). But, no matter how you slice it, the Fire need to get busy very fast if they are going to field a squad capable of competing, like so many prior squads, for a playoff slot!
