Closer look at Chicago Fire all-stars
First the Chicago Fire was named host of this season's MLS All-Star Game.
Then the Fire played well enough through the first half of the season to send four players - more than any other team - to Wednesday's game at Soldier Field (8 p.m., FS1, Univision) to join Fire coach Veljko Paunovic, who will manage the all-stars against Real Madrid.
Here's a quick look at Chicago's all-stars:
Veljko Paunovic
Paunovic's second season as Fire coach has gone much better than the first. In his first season as a club coach, some critics wondered whether he could lead full-grown men.
In his second season, Paunovic has wiped away most of those questions with a record of 11-5-5, although losses in the Fire's past two games, both with David Accam limited to substitute duty, have raised new questions.
Paunovic is one of the youngest, most energetic and most competitive coaches in the league, as the young Fire players who have lost to him in post-practice soccer tennis games can attest.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
For years, Fire fans and media have cried for a designated player who could make an impact, as well as a superstar DP who could get them excited again just by trying on a jersey. In Schweinsteiger, a World Cup champion signed from famed Manchester United in March, they have someone who meets both criteria.
His $5.4 million contract for the season, by far the largest in club history, has been worth every penny for the Fire, on and off the field.
The 32-year-old German brought much-needed leadership to the Fire and helped change the team's mentality. He added a sense of calm to the field, as well as a deft passing touch.
Schweinsteiger will be the captain for the MLS all-star team. Will he be back in Chicago in 2018?
Nemanja Nikolic
Nikolic doesn't have the name recognition that Bastian Schweinsteiger brought to Chicago, but like his better-known teammate he has been the kind of productive DP the Fire has lacked over the years. His 16 goals lead MLS.
The Hungarian forward arrived from Poland's Legia Warsaw over the winter. His sniper skills have taken defensive attention off Accam, who is benefiting from his newfound freedom on the field to the tune of 12 goals and 7 assists.
Dax McCarty
Acquired in January via trade from the New York Red Bulls for $400,000 in general allocation money, McCarty proved to be a steal even before Dom Dwyer was traded for $1.6 million in allocation money. The Fire isn't complaining, though.
Like Schweinsteiger, McCarty adds leadership to a team that was sorely lacking in it the past few years. He also added a defensive presence in front of the back line that is a big reason the Fire has allowed just 24 goals in 21 games.
It's hard to imagine the Fire having the success it is having without McCarty.
Johan Kappelhof
One of the quietest players on the team, the Dutch defender has been a stalwart for the Fire defense in his second season in Chicago.