Collins John's Killer Free Kick Earns Fire Draw

On The Bob Bradley Extension

The Reign of Bob Continues...

US Soccer fans finally got the news they'd been waiting for with news breaking that Bob Bradley will stay on as manager of the United States Men's National Team. The decision actually caused "Bradley" to start trending in the United States, which in itself, is a great sign that people in this country actually care about who coaches their national team. From sampling some recent tweets, it would be safe to say that the majority of fans are none to pleased with Bradley's extension. 

Part of the reason I think people have such a strong reaction to Bradley is that he's just not all that interesting. Imagine Bradley as television analyst. His long, calculated, incredibly thought out responses interrupted by monotone uhhhhs definitely wouldn't transfer well over to the T.V. booth. However, that doesn't mean the guy can't get give a hell of a locker room speech. I would have love to have been a fly on the wall during Bradley's   speech at half-time after the US went down 2-0 to Slovenia in the second game of the World Cup in South Africa. Still, I for one would like to see Bob loosen up with the media a bit. The sport in this country would certainly benefit from a men's national team with some personality. 

I've heard players like Carlos Bocanegra and assistant coach Jesse Marsch talk about how Bradley loosens up off camera. From the interviews Bob has given in the past, we've occasionally gotten small glimpses of  Bradley out of his Clint Eastwood-esque poker face. I for one would be incredibly interested in seeing an interview with Bob Bradley completely devoid of anything soccer. Some of his closest friends say Bob is a funny guy and his laugh has been described as a "very, loud chortle". Chortles aside, in the next few years I hope we get a deeper look into what makes Bob tick. 

Bob doesn't need to open up to please the masses of people who don't know or care about soccer in this country, but I believe the national team's loyal fans do deserve some more accessibility to their coach. Soccer is fighting its way day-after-day into a respectable place in the American sports landscape and the sport needs to be as media savvy as possible to grow. 

US Soccer fans need to take the Bradley extension for what it is. The US men's national team has one of the most experienced, well-respected American soccer coaches at the helm. You can tell by the way our national team players talk about Bob that they love playing for the guy. And it's always hard for me to hold anything against a self-proclaimed Bruce Springsteen fan. Yes, it would be great if Jose Mourinho or Sir Alex Ferguson decided to coach our national team, but that's not happening anytime soon. 

The number one thing I'd like to see from Bradley as we begin to build towards the Gold Cup is seeing some new player brought into the full national team. I'd really like to see guys like Tim Ream, Mikkel Diskerud, Brek Shea, Jack McInerney, and Jermaine Jones in a USA shirt some time soon. Although history hasn't fared well for second term national team coaches in the World Cup, Bradley may have the qualities to learn from his mistakes and improve.

What are your thoughts on four more years of Bob Bradley? Comment below.

Five USMNT Prospects to Watch

The USA's run in South Africa is over. The depression has begun to wear off, so I thought I'd do what every good US soccer fan must do: look ahead to the next World Cup. I love how the very moment the World Cup ends, the build up for the next one begins. We can expect to see players like Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, and Tim Howard again in 2014, but there will be without a doubt a number of new faces heading to Brazil. Here's five young players to keep an eye on in the coming years.

1. Mikkel Diskerud

Every US Soccer fan's favorite Norwegian-American is only 19 years old and has already won himself starting position on a club in Europe. I really would've liked to seen Mikkel "Mix" Diskerud get a look at the Men's team before the World Cup. Even though he's just a teenager, there are not many Americans who can say they start for a European club. Mix is a dynamic midfielder in the Iniesta mold who is dangerous both as a passer and goal scorer. He gained valuable experience playing with his Norwegian club Stabaek in the Champions League last season against David Villa and Spanish giants Valencia. I'm hoping Mix gets a call up within the next year.

2. Omar Gonzales

The LA Galaxy defender is the best young America centerback in the MLS. The 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year has taken his game to another level in his second season as a professional. I watched the Mexican-American play recently for LA and the kid just dominated. Gonzales has the size at 6'4 to dominate in the air and the athleticism to stay with faster defenders. The former Maryland Terp is learning how to be solid pro playing next to one of the best centerbacks America has ever produced in Gregg Berhalter. US Soccer showed they saw a lot of potential in Gonzales when he was called into the USMNT camp for the Honduras friendly this past January. If the 21-year-old keeps playing the way he's been playing this season he'll be my MLS defender of the Year. In 2014, I'd expect Gonzales to be playing in Europe at age 24 and be well acclimated to playing for the national team.

3. Edgar Castillo

Edgar Castillo may have switched his allegiance over to the United States too late to get a real shot at making the US squad for 2010, but I expect the 23-year-old to be in the thick of things in the next cycle. The explosive left back is an extremely exciting player to watch with his ability to attack opponents with his speed. The New Mexico born footballer made one appearance for the United States in a friendly against Denmark, but played at left midfield instead his usual place in the defense. The Club America product will play his soccer on loan with Mexican club San Luis this season. If Castillo can improve his defending then I can see him being seriously considered at left back by 2014.

4. Mike Grella

Although Mike Grella didn't garner buckets of attention in his first season playing abroad, the former Duke Blue Devil solidified himself on a very good Leeds United team. When The Whites gave Grella a chance to play during the season the 23-year-old didn't disappoint. Grella notched five goals in limited playing time. Leeds will be playing in The Championship next year in England, and hopefully that will give the young American some more valuable experience. Now that Leeds has sold goal machine Jermaine Beckford to Everton it might give Grella an increase in playing time. Most US fans expect Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies to be starting at the forward position for the Yanks in 2014, but after those two players the position is pretty wide open.

5. Brek Shea

In his third year in MLS, Brek Shea is finally showing his potential. The FC Dallas youngster has settled into playing on the wing, nailing three impressive goals thus far this season and tallying one assist. The kid obviously has all the physical tools, but need to continue his development steadily if he wants to earn a place on the national team. I've been impressed not only by his ability to go at defenders, but by his accurate crossing. In the past their had been rumors about clubs like Manchester United and Fulham being interested in Shea. A good season or two in MLS could help him punch his ticket to Europe before the next World Cup rolls around.

Fire Fall to AC Milan at Toyota Park

Chicago Fire: The Season So Far

Heading into Saturday night's contest with the Houston Dynamo the Chicago Fire are sitting in fifth place in the East with 1 win, two losses, and a tie. Last week we saw the Fire notch their first win over hapless DC United thanks to goals from Marco Pappa and Brian McBride. I thought it would be a nice time to take stock of what's transpired so far this season and rate the Fire as a team and organization.

Coach

We've certainly got what we expected from new Fire manager Carlos De Los Cobos so far this year: change. The real question is if it will good change or bad change. So far we've seen mixed results. The team could of came out victorious in both its losses, but were unable to avoid making costly mistakes and not capitalizing on their opportunities.

Often when a new manager comes in it can take a little while before things start clicking with the team. However, the expectations are high when you are hired by a team that fired their last coach after he got them to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. i like the progress CDLC has made learning English and some of the players he's brought in look to be keepers.

Forward

Brian McBride came in off the bench last weekend to a scoreless game in the 75th minute. When the game ended the Fire had a key road victory and #20 had a goal and assist to his name. Bringing McBride off the bench every now and again might not be a bad idea this season. The guy is 37 and I don't know if having him playing 90 minutes every week of the season is the best way to use him.

McBride's former strike partner at Fulham, Collins John, has earned praise from MLS pundits for his efforts so far this season. The Dutch 24-year-old has show he still has a air of class about him, and has created chances in every game he's played in.

His impressive header against Colorado helped secure the Fire a point in week 2, and both the Fire's home opener against San Jose and last week in the nation's capital he showed promise.The former teenage prodigy looks like he could go on a goal scoring run in the near future, so keep an eye on him this weekend.

Midfield

Watching the team in the home opener at Toyota Park I couldn't help but feel the team was just lacking a creative force in the midfield. That would make sense with Cuauhtémoc Blanco plying his trade back in Mexico, the Fire need to find another chief creator.

It would be unfair to expect Marco Pappa to replace a player you were just paying 2 million dollars right away, but the Guatemalan international has shown promise. The left footed midfielder still has a tendency to sometime float in and out of games, but is starting show understanding that he has to be "the man in the midfield" for the Fire this season. 

Not having Logan Pause and John Thorrington healthy is definitly a challenge, but Baggio Hudisic, Peter Lowry, and Justin Mapp have done an admirable job filling in. Patrick Nyarko I believe has found his best position at right wing with his blazing speed creating numerous opportunities for the Fire this season. If De Los Cobos can just figure out to get the Ghanian footballer to finish in the final third he could take a big step forward in his career this year. I'm also looking forward to seeing Corben Bone and Julio Martinez introduced into the fray.

Defense

The surprising departure of goalkeeper Jon Busch has left the backline of the Fire learning how to play with a young keeper in Andrew Dykstra. I like the Fire's personnel in defense, but it will just take a little for the cohesion to set in. Tim Ward has proven himself a admirable right back, while my preference right now is Polish newcomer Krzysztof Krol at left back. The Fire also have new addition Deris Umanzor and Mike Banner who could see time on the left.

C.J. Brown has been putting out fires in the Fire penalty box for 12 years. His experience and leadership cannot be overvalued this season, but wouldn't mind seeing Dasan Robinson and rookie Kwame Watson-Siriboe have a chance at battling for the starting spot next to stalwart William Conde. Until one of the strikers catch a hot streak, the Fire are going to have to depend on the defense to keep them in games.


Front Office

You have to give credit where credit is do and the Chicago Fire organization did a wonderful job selling out Toyota Park for opening night. Seeing Toyota Park packed with soccer fans was truly great to see and in my opinion a bigger deal than selling out a playoff game.

The team didn't come up with their end of the bargain, but at least it was an exciting game. It seems like the Fire are running promotions every day for fans to get affordable tickets to the game and President Dave Greeley really seems to know what he's doing.

It's been great to see the club's efforts to engage fans and make them feel apart of the team. Recent news of the Fire signing a first-of-its-kind in MLS charter agreement with its fans is indication of the team's movement in the right direction. Besides the regular MLS season fans can look forward to seeing the Fire take on AC Milan on May 30th and the Sister Cities Tournament both at Toyota Park.

The organization is far from perfect and still have many challenges to face both on the field and off, but I have to applaud the front office for what they've done from the end of last season to now.

-Here's hoping for a win tomorrow in Bridgeview!

-Sean Heffernan

News From the Fire: Chicago Fire Pre Season, A Look Ahead to 2010, and More

• 2010 Chicago Fire Schedule Released...opening up at the brand new Red Bulls Arena on 3/27 against the Red Bulls on ESPN2.
  
• MLS Schedule breakdown
  America's leading soccer scribe had a word with Collins John who is currently on trial with the Fire. The Dutch forward talks about the prospect of coming to Chicago and how he can turn his career around.  
• Over at Fire Confidential Sam Stejskal had a little birdie tell him that John tore it up in training on Wednesday. The Fire need at least three serviceable strikers next season as you never know who will get injured and Brian McBride would benefit not having to play every minute of every game.Sam allows here's rumblings about a mystery French Forward.
• Former Fire winger and USMNT vetran DeMarcus Beasley's car was firebombed in Glasglow. Football fans seem to be mental over there in Scotland. 
• Random Thoughts from my bro over at Soccer365 Greg Seltzer on the John Terry fiasco and such
• Here's how the roster looks to with camp starting up. We shall see if any of the trialists will make an impact on the team. 
• Chicago Fire Preseason Schedule  
• Undrafted rookies in Fire camp 
• Will C.J. Brown be the Fire Captain in 2010? 
• Manchester United is coming to Chicago next summer it looks. 
• Jon Busch to be honored at the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards 
• What the Fire players did in their off season.
• Daily Herald's Orrin Schwartz examines the new look of the Chicago Fire 
• ESPN.com's Charlie Corr looks into his crystal ball
  
  

News From The Fire: Chris Rolfe Speaks, Fire Sign Krol, and Other News

 The team seems to be falling into place with the Chicago Fire making a number of signings and having a promising 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Camp is scheduled to open up February 1st and it appears that the players and owners are going to sign the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by then. Here is The News From the Fire...

• Chris Rolfe checks in from Denmark with Fire Confidential's Sam Stejkal touching on how things are going on over there and his thoughts back on his days with the Fire.

• ESPN.com's Charlie Corr checks in with Technical Director Frank Kloppas on the addition of Julio Martinez and Krzysztof Krol and gets an update on the CBA situation.

• Logan Pause continues his good doing as the reigning MLS Humanitarian of the Year presented the Chicago Fire Foundation's grant to Team Kid Care which is a Chicago-based non-profit that helps out children with serious medical conditions.

What the Signing of Julio Martinez Means to the Chicago Fire

The long rumored deal to bring Salvadorian Julio Martinez to the Chicago Fire as the winger is reunited with his former national team coach Carlos De Los Cobos. The move for Martinez along with the Fire's draft picks Corben Bone and Drew Yates gives the midfielder much need reinforcements after losing chief creators Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe. Martinez will be accepted to make an immediate impact whereas the rookies will be brought along slowly. During World Cup Qualification the 24 year old scored twice against Mexico including this killer free kick.

I can see a Pappa, Pause, Thorrington, Martinez midfield being pretty effective for the Fire this year with Bone, Hudisic, Lowry, Banner, Yates, and Mapp fighting to break into the starting lineup. Martinez had great success at Salvadorian club Mestapan before moving to second division Mexican side León. I have to say I've liked the off season moves so far this season, but wouldn't mind seeing a few more before the season kick off at Toyota Park.

Should Carlos Bocanegra Come Back to the Chicago Fire?

USMNT captain and former Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra is having difficulties earning playing time with his club team Stade Rennes in Frances Ligue 1. There are rumors of the former MLS Defender of the Year looking into loan options as to prepare for this summer's World Cup. French side St. Etienne has been considered an option for the national team stalwart, but they're have also been reports of MLS interest.

Bocanegra has been playing out of his natural central position in the defense at left back for Stade Rennes and St. Etienne would like employ him out left as well. I for one would like to see Bocanegra move to a team where he would get consistent first team minutes at center back.

I'm not sure if the Fire still own his rights in MLS, but I for one would love to see Boca back in a Fire uniform. If the money could be worked out in way that would work for both parties I think it could be a great situation for the 31-year-old defender where he could earn consistent playing time in a city he's comfortable playing in, playing in the position he would play for the US in next summer's World Cup. There isn't another US central defender who's earning playing time in top four league outside of injured Oguchi Onyweu in the world so his spot in the starting lineup wouldn't be severely threatened.

A partnership between Bocanegra and William Conde would likely be one of the best in the league giving the Fire a real shot at making it to MLS Cup after coming up short in 2009. Who knows if Boca is actually open to a MLS return, but if that's the case i hope that Frank Kloppas and Carlos De Los Cobos do everything in their power to bring the proven defender back to the club where he won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2000.

News From the Fire: De Los Lobos Hating, Transfer Rumors, Chicago Tribune Article

-At least one guy isn't calling the Chicago Fire's hiring of Carlos de los Cobos a dream match. Peter Wilt over at Pitch Invasion has some things to say about the new man at helm. 

-Speaking of CDLC, the Fire head coach was interviewed by FutbolMLS.com and hinted that the Fire were close to the long rumored signing Julio Martinez.

"For now we know that and Frank (Klopas, manager of the Chicago Fire) told me that Julio Martinez is a player who is almost settled with the team, player of the national team of El Salvador. Frank tells me that it is likely that we can count on the player for next season. On the way we go looking for items to come in and replace some that have left important. "
 -Carlos de los Cobos

-One reason the Fire did not select a forward in this past week's MLS SuperDraft could be because the Fire are looking to sign Liberian/Dutch striker Collins John. John is former strike partner of Brian McBride when the two featured for EPL side Fulham. The 24-year-old scored 20 goals in 95 appearances for Fulham before his most recent and less successful spells with Watford and Dutch side K.S.V. Roeselare.

 The bad news is that he might be a bit a mental case as he was demoted to the reserve squad at Roeselare for disciplinary matters. Regardless of this Collins John talk I still think Patrick Nyarko is the Fire's first choice striker alongside McBride as the young speedster showed great progress last season.


-Add another Chicago Tribune staff member who's fallen for the beautiful game. Trib columnist John Kass bashes the city for its poor bid for the 2018-22 World Cup bid and professes his love for world's game.

Chicago Fire Nab Bone in MLS SuperDraft

With the 13th pick in the 2010 the Chicago Fire select....Corben Bone?

You know I'm on board with this pick simply on the basis of this kid's name. What a bad ass name. Sounds like a character Steven Segeal would play. As for the kid's actual soccer skills carrying over from Wake Forest to MLS that remains to be seen. Many analysts had the creative midfielder going much earlier in the draft so the Fire might have steal on their hands. Bone wasn't a star of the MLS combine which may have led to him dropping to the Fire. One of the needs Techinical Director Frank Kloppas said he was looking for was a creative midfielder.

Bone was one of the best soccer players in the NCAA this past season and was a MAC Hermann Award finalist. His numbers are pretty sweet: 38 assists and 15 goals in three years. We shall see how the drafting of Bone will affect the Fire's rumored off season moves. Here are the other draft picks the Fire made on Thursday.

26th Pick: UConn centerback Kwame Watson-Siriboe: Widely regarded as the second best center back outside of Corben Bone's teammate at Wake Forest Ike Opara. Many even predicted the Fire would select the 6 ft 3 in defender at 13. Center back is a position the Fire certainly needed some depth. Watson-Siriboe won't be expected to start right away with William Conde, C.J. Brown, and Dasan Robinson all on the books, but the kid has the potential to surprise us.

29th Pick: Maryland midfielder Drew Yates: Looks like second year men Baggio Husidsic and Peter Lowry will have some more competition next year with another midfielder being selected. Yates played four years at Maryland scoring 5 goals and notching 3 assists in his senior season. A number of people said Yates looked good at the MLS Combine.

45th Pick: Elon University defender Steven Kinney: Some more ammunition for the defensive ranks. Kinney had a strong combine playing both at center back and right back. He scored a header in his first game at the combine to help his team to a 4-1 win. Another nice pick up for the Fire.

51st Pick: Central Florida goalkeeper Sean Johnson: Young goalie with a lot of potential. Not a bad idea to use their late round draft pick on a project. Johnson will be learning behind one of MLS's best keepers in Jon Busch. Johnson has played with the US's U-20s. This kid could be the Fire's future goalkeeper down the road.

(Updated) News From The Fire: El Salvador's Julio Martinez, MLS SuperDraft, Fire Events, and Chicago Out of World Cup Bid

- Here is your beloved Fire's new coach greeting his new fans in English! Pretty funny. We shall see how Carlos de los Cobos' command of the language progresses in his first year coaching in Chicago. For the moment he was spotted in his brand new Fire gear down in Florida scouting in preparations for the MLS SuperDraft.

-In the wake of the news that the Fire are closing in on Polish left back Krzysztof Król (see the article previous) it has also been reported out of El Salvador that Julio Martinez is headed to the Fire on a loan deal. The shifty winger gave the US fits in World Cup Qualifying this past year.

(Updated)
-Carlos de los Cobos might be thinking of bringing fellow Mexican international, Ramon Morales to the Fire as this interview in Spainish hints at the possibility of bringing in the former Chivas midfielder. This move seems in line with the hiring of CDLC to galvanize the Mexican fan base.

-Former Fire player and co-host of Fox Soccer Channel's "Fox Football Fone In" Eric Wynalda has been named an assistant to U-20 Men's Soccer Team to serve under head coach Thomas Rongen. Wynalda was a candidate for the Chicago Fire job, but perhaps needed some more experience as coach to really compete for the job. I hope he stays on as a host of FFF.

-OleOle takes a in depth look at what to expect from the Fire on Thursday at the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.

-Speaking of the MLS SuperDraft the Fire will be hosting a 2010 Jersey Unveiling and Superdraft Watch Party at Rockit Bar & Grill 22 W. Hubbard, Chicago, IL. Brian McBride, Logan Pause, and mascot Sparky will be on hand. Hopefully, I can pop in on my lunch break for a pint. Also keep an eye out for defender C.J. Brown helping out on ABC 7 Morning News with a cooking segment at 6:50 AM on Saturday, January 15th.

-For some ungodly reason Chicago was not on US Soccer's bid list for the 2018-2022 World Cup Bid and apparently Mayor Daley had something to do with it as Chicago soccer buddies Pitch Invasion points out.

What should the Fire do on Thursday for the draft? What do you think about Chicago not being included on US Soccer's World Cup bid? Share your thoughts below.

The Fire Signing Polish Defender Krzysztof Król?

There have been rumors swirling out of Poland that 23 year old left back Krzysztof Król is headed to the Chicago Fire for a little while now, but the deal is becoming more of a reality it seems every day. From a rough translation of this article it seems that Król is 99% sure that he is coming to Chicago from his Polish Ekstraklasa club Jagiellonii Białystok. The article goes on to quote Król saying that a loan deal has been worked out between the two clubs and is only awaiting paperwork to make it official. It also appears from what I gathered from the piece that he was recently in Chicago and Canada.

The 6 ft 1⁄2 in  fullback was a reserve player for Real Madrid and was promoted to the second team in 2007, but never made an appearance for the club. This past season with Jagiellonii Białystok he played in 30 matches for the 8th place club. Former Fire striker and Jagiellonii Białystok teammate Tomasz Frankowski gave the Chicago Fire his blessing telling his fellow countrymen positive things about the club and MLS.

The addittion of Król would provide cover for the Fire after losing Gonzalo Segares who recently signed with Cypriot team APOEL F.C.. Segares put in some good years for the Fire, but was often injured the final two years in Chicago. You can't feel sorry for Segares though as I'm sure he's making good money and will likely be playing in the Champions League as APOEL F.C. is traditionally one of the best teams in the Cypriot First Division.

Perhaps in the coming days we shall hear more about the validity of these rumors from the Fire brass. Frank Kloppas has said recently that the Fire are still looking to add a central defender, attacking midfielder, and striker to the roster for the 2010 season. The Fire have the 13th, 29th, and 45th overall picks in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft so it will be interesting which of those needs the Fire will meet.

The advantage of signing Krol over drafting a left back to replace Segares is in the fact that the Polish defender has already been a professional for some time and would not experience any symptoms of being a rookie in MLS. The next few days should certainly be very interesting for the future of the Chicago Fire.

Former Fire Defender Bakary Soumare Starts in African Cup of Nations For Mali

Representing his home country of Mali, former Chicago Fire central defender Bakary Soumare helped Les Aigles complete an astounding comeback tying African Cup of Naitons host Angola on Sunday. Mali went behind 4-0 to Angola only to score four goals in the second half led by Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita. Soumare left the Chicago Fire last season after an altercation with then coach Dennis Hamlett.

The 24-year-old defender knows plies his trade in Ligue 1 for US Boulogne and has played already in 10 matches. You may remember that Soumare had expressed an desire to play for the United States before he found out that he would not be granted his US citizenship in time for the World Cup. It's a shame too, because with Oguchi Onyweu out it would have been nice to have Bakary as an option in central defense. Oh well.

Carlos de los Cobos Press Conference Commentary

10:51 AM: The press conference for new Fire coach Carlos de los Cobos (or CDLC as fans are already calling him) is about the begin live on Chicago-Fire.com from Toyota Park. I will be sharing my thoughts throughout the event live here on Bringing The Fire. Hopefully today will shine a light on the future of the franchise.

11:05 AM: Fire Confidential it is reported that El Salvador international Julio Martinez is on his way to the Fire. We'll see if the Fire brass has anything to say about those reports. Would be a great pickup for the Fire as Martinez shined in World Cup Qualifying.

11:07 AM: President Dave Greely speaks first. Calls De Los Cobos "World Class Coach". Applauds Technical Director Frank Kloppas for starting first player development pyramid. Points out Fire have made playoffs 11 out of 12 years. Introduces Frank Kloppas who will introduce the head coach.

11:15 AM: Kloppas says the coaching search spanned three continents, but CDLC was the ideal canidate because of his vast experience as a coach and a player. Kloppas goes on to highlight De Los Cobos's success as El Salvador's head coach and playing days in Mexico. Kloppas proudly introduces Carlos De Los Cobos.

11:20 AM: Carlos De Los Cobos begins by saying that he prefers to speak in Spanish and use a translator but does speak some English. CDLC talks about his love for Chicago and the city's great culture and goes on to thank Kloppas and Chicago Fire owners. One of the reasons I decided to take this job because of the shared leadership through the organization: love of football and winning.

11:25 AM: "Over the last year I've seen this league grow and become a much better which is a great opportunity for me as a coach." The large Latino population played a part in CDLC's decision to come to the Fire. CDLC is aware of Section 8 and their great support for the club. "I'm 51 years old and though he has experience but he feels his best coaching days are yet to come."

11:30 AM: "I know that this is a results based business and I have come here to get results". CDLC ends initial speech and takes pictures with Fire brass holding a jersey. Q and A session begins. First question is extremely long in Spanish about Blanco and what players the Fire will bring in during the offseason. CDLC says he's aware of the importance of Blanco and has been communicating with Kloppas on a daily basis. Today Kloppas and CDLC will be flying to Florida to attend the second day of the MLS Draft Combine.

11:35 AM: CDLC says the relationship between the front office and the improvement in play in MLS is what attracted him to the Chicago Fire job. He also thought that this was a job that he could succeed in. When asked about the style of soccer he prefers he responds by saying he prefers an attractive style of soccer with a lot of quick passing. CDLC has viewed tapes of Fire games...compliments former coach Dennis Hamlett on the team's defense and overall play. Rumored consultant Manuel Laponente spoke with Frank Kloppas about CDLC during the job search.

11:40 AM: CDLC responds to question about his contract stating that his deal with the Fire is only a two year deal. Without naming any names the coach says that he is interested in bringing some Salvadorian players to MLS. CDLC hopes to break down barriers where more Mexican coaches can break into the MLS coaching ranks. When asked about Blanco again he says that the door is open for his return after the World Cup. Ken McDill from MLSNET asks Frank Kloppas about bringing in coach with no MLS experience. Kloppas says that having people like himself with MLS knowledge and other MLS assistant coaches will be enough to help CDLC adjust.

11:50 AM: Javier Leon says that CDLC reminds him of Bob Bradley in terms of being a honorable, hard working coach. Points to CDLC's success in El Salvador as a great litmus test for the Chicago Fire job because no one expected El Salvador to do anything in World Cup Qualifying. However, with CDLC El Salvador beat Mexico and tied the US with a group of unknown players internationally. CDLC talks about the importance of players feeling commitment from their coach and front office.

That concludes the press conference with Carlos de los Cobos. Reporters flock the table to get a few more words with Fire officals. Photographers will go on tour of stadium with the coach to take pictures.

De Los Cobos came off as a professional in his responses to the media and there was a general spirit of optimisim from the front office. The Mexican coach's command of English is a bit troubling, but I expect that it will improve some as we get closer to the season. In terms of experience CDLC is very impressive. I certainly can see him galvanizing the Latino communities in Chicago, but the real test is how he will mesh with the English speaking Fire fans. After coming so close to the MLS Cup in years past expectations will be very high in the coach's first year at the helm. Many fans will consider anything short of an MLS Cup appearence a failure. The coach's first line of business will be to use the MLS SuperDraft to meet some of the team's needs.

What did you think of the press conference? Do you think Carlos de los Cobos will be a good match for the club? Share your thoughts below.

Fire Introduce De Los Cobos At Press Conference Monday

Don't miss the Chicago Fire's unveiling of their new head coach, Carlos de los Cobos at 11 AM CT on Monday streaming  live on chicago-fire.com from Toyota Park's Media Room. There will be live commentary on the press conference with the Fire's new boss here at Bringing The Fire.

Chicago Fire Announce Carlos de los Cobos Next Head Coach

According to Nick Firchau of the Chicago Sun Times the Chicago Fire have agreed to terms with former El Salvador National Team Coach Carlos de los Cobos. The Fire were reported in week-long negotiations with De Los Cobos, but it appears the two parties have worked out their differences.

The former Mexican National Team defender played for El Tri in the 1986 World Cup and was an assistant coach on Mexico's 1996 Olympic Team and 1998 World Cup squad. De Los Cobos has been a head coach for Mexico's U-23 squad as well as Mexican clubs Tigres, Club America, Club Celaya, Querétaro FC, and Deportivo Irapuato.

Most recently De Los Cobos coached El Salvador to the Hexagonal phase of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying exceeding many pundit's expectations. You might remember how De Los Cobos's squad tied the United States 2-2 in a wild game in San Salvador and then in their second game of the Hexagonal went up 1-0 early on against the Red, White, and Blue in Rio Tinto Stadium before falling 2-1 to the Americans.

I haven't had much time to digest the De Los Cobos hiring, but here are my intial thoughts.

The Good:
-Is a very experienced coach who's coming off a successful stint with El Salvador
-Being a former Mexican national team player and assistant coach will sit well with the Fire's strong Mexican following
-Has strong knowledge of CONCACAF which hopefully will result in the Fire signing some up and coming talent in the region
-Former coach of Cuauhtémoc Blanco
-Has a mullet-like hair style

The Bad:
-No previous MLS experience (coaches without MLS experience don't have a great track record thus far in the league's existence, but Technical Director Frank Klopas played in MLS and could help De Los Cobos learn the ropes)
-Over his 16 years of coaching experience he's moved around quite a bit (six club and three national team coaching jobs)
-Never coached in a non-Spanish speaking country
-Not named Mike Ditka

The Chicago Fire decided not to renew head coach Dennis Hamlet's contract after the Fire missed out going to the MLS Cup on penalty kicks. The signing of De Los Cobos makes one wonder what would have happened had the Fire won that penalty shoot out that night in Toyota Park.

There seemed to be a disconnect between Hamlet and the Fire's front office so it likely would have been only a matter of time until the club moved on, but looking back on that night the entire direction of the club was forever altered when keeper Nick Rimando stoned Brandon Prideaux to give Real Salt Lake the advantage in penalties.

De Los Cobos and Klopas will have to find a way to replace Blanco (who won't be in Fire uniform again at least until after the World Cup, if ever) and Chris Rolfe (who the Fire were unable to resign and is now playing for Aalborg in Denmark).

There are rumors of De Los Cobos bringing right footed Salvadorian winger Julio Martínez which would help fill the void left by Blanco and Rolfe if the deal ever materializes. Current midfielders Justin Mapp, Peter Lowry, and Baggio Hudsic could all see more important roles in the team next season. Whatever the future holds a new path has been forged for the Fire with the hiring of Carlos De Los Cobos

What do you think about the Fire naming De Los Cobos head coach? Share your thoughts below!

Bringing The Fire

My name is Sean Heffernan and I have started this blog in order to cover the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer. I grew up north of Chicago ignorant to the beautiful game more considered with the American version of football. That all changed after I spent the summer of 2006 in Rome, Italy and witnessed the Azzuri win the World Cup. The city exploded in celebration and I was forever changed. Since 2006 soccer has becoming an obsession for me mostly focusing on the US Men's National Team and the Chicago Fire.

Since graduating from Marquette University in 2007 I've written soccer articles for both the now defunct theloveofsports.com and the popular soccer website soccer365.com. This past May I helped launch BTeamBombers.com with two of my high school buddies devoted to sports. I intend this blog to be a great place for fans to come express their opinion about the Fire and the greater world of soccer. Please do not be afraid to post comments!