Fire's newest designated player has big expectations to fulfill

As Chicago Fire news conferences go, Wednesday's introduction of midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger ranks right behind the October 1997 announcement of the team nickname and just ahead of the introductions of Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Brian McBride.

Schweinsteiger is that big a deal to the Fire, on and off the field. This is all the Fire is asking Schweinsteiger to do this season:

•Lead the Fire (1-1-1, 4 points) to the Major League Soccer playoffs for the first time since 2012 and win a playoff game for the first time since 2009.

•Reverse the slide in Toyota Park attendance. Bring back an energy to Toyota Park not seen since 2009 and provide momentum for the Aug. 2 MLS All-Star Game at Soldier Field.

•Help fellow Fire newbies Dax McCarty, Juninho and Nemanja Nikolic finally bring back a winning mentality to the struggling club. "Since today our club is already different," coach Veljko Paunovic said of Wednesday's training session.

Pressure? The 2014 World Cup champion and eight-time Bundesliga champ laughed it off.

"I had a lot of pressure in my career," he said, noting some accomplishments, " ... so I can handle that."

In other words Schweinsteiger must be like Blanco, but with a personality.

The dour Blanco spoke no English and went nowhere without his gruff bodyguard by his side. Schweinsteiger smiles easily, speaks English well and brought his glamorous wife, former professional tennis star Ana Ivanovic, with him to the PrivateBank Fire Pitch on Chicago's North side for the news conference.

"I just want to play well and help the team," he said, flashing that smile for the many television and cellphone cameras filming him.

Schweinsteiger could get his chance starting with Saturday's home game against the Montreal Impact (2 p.m., Comcast SportsNet Plus).

"I feel I'm ready," he said, deferring to Paunovic. "Whenever the coach needs me I'm ready."

But can the injury-prone 32-year-old be like Blanco?

From 2007 through 2009 Blanco scored 16 times and assisted on another 26 goals. Blanco led the Fire to three consecutive conference championship series and helped fans find their way through the wilderness all the way to Southwest suburban Bridgeview and Toyota Park.

It's the role of the designated player in MLS to be the rainmaker. Since Blanco left the Fire has endured a long, deep drought.

A long list of DPs - Nery Castillo, Sherjill MacDonald, Juan Luis Anangono, Gilberto and Shaun Maloney among others - have failed in Chicago where Blanco succeeded. Now the Fire turns to Schweinsteiger, hoping he can be different.

"I like to challenge myself, and this is a big chance to challenge myself," he said.

With the Fire he's getting the biggest challenge in MLS.