Real Salt Lake hosts the Chicago Fire in the final meeting of RSL’s regular season schedule against an Eastern Conference opponent. Here are three things to know about the Fire.
Newer New-Look Attack
The Fire has undergone massive change since Nelson Rodriguez took over as General Manager last year and those changes didn’t stop this week. At the end of the summer transfer window, Rodriguez had swung deals for forward Luis Solignac and David Arshakayan to join an already deep group that includes David Accam and newly acquired Michael de Leeuw. Even with the departure of Kennedy Igboananike and his 11 goals and four assists in over the last two seasons, the attack is strengthened well beyond the 19 goals scored through the first 20 matches.
Pauno’s In Charge
Veljko Paunovic had a solid career playing in La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Russian Premier League, along with two seasons in Serbia before arriving in MLS with the Philadelphia Union for his final pro season in 2011. Now a veteran of four years coaching youth national teams for Serbia, Paunovic was a good pickup for Chicago to take over head coaching duties after last season. He was a hot commodity after leading Serbia to the U-20 World Cup title in June of 2015 and he brings those years of experience on the field and on the sideline to the Windy City.
Champs at Day One
Not since 1998 has an MLS club won MLS Cup in its expansion season when the Chicago Fire won both the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in the club’s inaugural season. Since then, the Fire won three more Open Cup titles in 2000, 2003 and 2006 and won the 2003 Supporters’ Shield. However, a second MLS Cup title has eluded them, dropping finals in 2000 to the Kansas City Wizards and in 2003 to the San Jose Earthquakes. The once-vaunted organization now has missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
