Fire Sidebar: Defensive Woes
Fire trying to solve its own problems.
BRIDGEVIEW, IL—One thing that stands out more than anything else through the first few games for the Chicago Fire are the defensive problems.
It may not have been seen much in the season opener at the LA Galaxy or hosting Orlando City SC last Saturday, but it was a glaring problem playing the Seattle Sounders FC which they were defeated 4-2 at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Fire gave up four goals, which two of them found the back of the net in the opening 15 minutes. Chicago gave up another early in the second half before mounting a bit of a comeback with goals of their own.
“I think it was something with the backline, if you look at the goals sometimes after a loss,” Chicago Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic said. “Individual mistakes, we make in the midfield and some misunderstandings in our backline. Obviously, it’s not good, not good at all. We’ll keep working and try to fix it.”
Photo Credit: Amanda Cortese
Trying to eliminate the problems of defensive structure just may go back into parts of last season. That’s where the club was trying to find players that could help the team, but with losses from some experienced players leaving the team it has shown to be its own problem again. Chicago will have to address this issue maybe a bit sooner than later.
“Probably yes, that’s something that we’re aware of,” Paunovic said. “It’s not easy to sign a player. We’re working on that and I agree we have to solve that. As a team, we have to build a defense. I think the discipline isn’t always there. I’m upset and responsible.”
Trying to get the defense on board entirely, the Fire’s new goalkeeper David Ousted knows it’s a work in progress with communication and trying to get the structure working in front of him.
“I think we’re a little disjointed right now defensively,” Ousted said. “We’re allowing too many chances and making things too easy, giving up and we need to fix it. We need to find each other as a unit and to back each other up that way. But it’s early in the season, but this is a part of what we have to work on and we know that now.”
In the coming weeks and future games, the Fire needs to get its defense, whomever gets on the opportunity on the backline working altogether so these mistakes don’t continue to happen.
“Going forward, that’s the emphasis on that,” Ousted said. “It’s a big part of getting to know each other and having more games together. Knowing where the guys go with determination and grit in there. We need to have every time we step on the field, a mentality that nothing will get by us and no goals will be scored. We have to work on that.”
Chicago had to change things up with its formation against Seattle trying to get back into the match. Bastian Schweinsteiger found himself playing back more on the defensive side of the ball almost in a sweeper role at times. But in his view, he saw a better look defensively, especially in the second half compared to early on. Still, the club needs some help in the back or else the result will be seeing Schweinsteiger that far back in future games, which appears not his decision and comes from Paunovic.
“It’s not always the defense that starts,” Schweinsteiger said. “The whole team has to work against the ball quite well. Then it’s easier to defend and we have to keep working on it and that’s all we can do.”
At least Chicago has some time to recover for its next game in a couple weeks, but the schedule still has some good teams ahead of them.
Chicago Fire