Fixing the Fire for 2021: The Backline
The crazy marathon that was the 2020 MLS regular season finally came to a close this weekend following a dramatic decision day that resulted in the Chicago Fire missing the playoffs for a third straight season.
A season full of twists and turns, highs and lows, leaves Fire fans wanting more once again.
Photo: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
With general manager Georg Heitz and his staff transitioning into their second season with the club, there will be added pressure from the fanbase to provide head coach Raphael Wicky with a strengthened side for next season. Despite a handful of bright spots throughout the course of the season, there still are glaring holes in this team that must be addressed in the offseason if this club is to improve next year.
The most obvious flaw for this Fire team is their backline and overall ability to defend as a unit. They kept only 4 clean sheets this season (two against lowly FC Cincinnati who only scored 12 goals all year). Additionally, they gave up two or more goals in 13 of their 23 matches and dropped 9 points from a winning position this season. Yikes.
With center-back being the most obvious weak spot for the team, who does the club look to move?
Most fans would say team captain Francisco Calvo. Despite being able to play the ball out of the back relatively well, he is certainly prone to a more-than-the-occasional defensive error.
However, since the Fire exercised his contract option for 2021, I wouldn’t hold your breath. With that being said, veteran Johan Kappelhof is the only central defender out of contract following this season.
Wyatt Omsberg could prove to be a solid depth piece with strong performances in his two starts on the year, but they will need more. Additionally, how will the recent signing of Carlos Teran fare?
Regardless, the Fire are going to need two quality central defenders if they want to bring down that goals-against average next season. They will need to shop for at least one to pair alongside the rookie standout, Mauricio Pineda, who played every minute of the 2020 season before being subbed off late in the game against NYCFC on Sunday. A bright spot in the backline, Pineda made very few errors that led to goals on the year and instead made significant plays on both sides of the ball (3G, 2A). The question becomes whether or not he remains as a center back or moves into the midfield next season if the necessary defensive reinforcements arrive.
The fullback roles might be the most underrated components of a strong team.
Although former US National Team standout Jonny Bornstein was pretty steady throughout 2020 and easily the team’s best 1v1 defender, he is not getting any younger (turned 36 this week) and it is still up for debate if Miguel Navarro or young homegrown Andre Reynolds II are ready to replace him. On the right side of the backline, Boris Sekulic started every game this season for the Fire, tallying a couple of goals in the process.
With that being said, he is the only natural right back on the Fire roster. The Fire have not been deep in this position in years and it is about time that Heitz and Co. make it a priority in the offseason.
All in all, the breakdown of the backline’s issues is just scratching the surface of what went wrong this season for the Chicago Fire.
More to come.
Featured Image: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
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