Chicago Fire still waiting on Drogba

Sure, why shouldn't the Chicago Fire sign Didier Drogba?

The 37-year-old Chelsea legend might not have much energy left in his legs, but at this stage in the Fire's season that's almost beside the point.

The Fire expects Drogba to make a decision any time now, possibly later today. Major League Soccer rival Montreal, coached by Fire legend Frank Klopas, also is in the hunt for Drogba.

Fire coach and director of soccer Frank Yallop had little to add about Drogba after Friday's training session other than the confirm the club is still waiting for an answer.

"There's nothing changed on that," Yallop said. "... We'll move on and do what we need to do if it's a no and try to do something to help us."

The Fire needs the kind of wakeup call a big-name signing like Drogba can bring. He can remind Chicago soccer fans, in the wake of the Women's World Cup excitement, that there's a men's professional team in town also.

For a club that has been on the pay-no-mind list in the nation's third-largest market the last few seasons, every little bit helps. With the Fire (5-11-3, 18 points) at the bottom of the MLS standings, there isn't much to lose in signing Drogba. The club can't fall any lower.

At 6-foot-2 Drogba finally brings the size to win those long balls the Fire seems to love to launch downfield, hoping beyond hope that Mike Magee, Kennedy Igboananike or the recently traded Quincy Amarikwa can outleap taller defenders.

Drogba has the ability to hold up the ball as wingers David Accam and Patrick Nyarko speed to the net, and the Fire desperately needs help offensively. Only Colorado has scored fewer goals in MLS play this year than the Fire, which has 20 goals in 19 games. That's not the wide-open attacking offense Yallop promised in the preseason.

Just don't expect Drogba to cover a lot of distance on the field at his age. Cuauhtemoc Blanco didn't either, and the team did well while he was around, on and off the field.

The better question is whether Drogba will have enough fitness left next year when the standings reset to make the Fire a playoff contender. Maybe the Fire can use another off-season to build a better team around Drogba and prepare for a post-Drogba team.

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