Fire plans to take advantage of break by addressing struggling defense
Just two games into the season, the Chicago Fire is getting a break for international play.
"We try to take advantage of these kind of breaks," Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said. "It's not something that we like because we like to compete in a continuous way."
The Fire will fill in the gap by playing a closed-door scrimmage Saturday against the University of Louisville.
"We are not happy with our performance, we are not happy with our form," said Paunovic, whose team lost its first two games. "I assume the full responsibility for the bad start and the only thing I can say and promise is we will fix it like we did in the past."
He must fix the defense, which has given up 6 goals in two games, but he refuses to use injuries as an excuse.
The Fire hosts the Portland Timbers at 5 p.m. March 31 in a doubleheader at Toyota Park with the Chicago Red Stars.
"The season is long. But I would still say that now is the moment where we have to step up," German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said. "We have to try to avoid mistakes in our game.
"That's why I am very positive, because we are the ones who made the mistakes in the past games, so I know which kind of players are on the team and how we can play when everyone is 100 percent."
The new father:
On Sunday Schweinsteiger and his wife, retired tennis superstar Ana Ivanovic, announced the birth of their first child, a boy. Schweinsteiger missed Saturday's game at Minnesota for the birth.
"Everything is well. Very happy," he said Wednesday.
While fans speculate about which sport the baby will play when he grows up, there remains another bit of information still to fill in: the name.
"That's a secret right now," Schweinsteiger said.
The rookie surprise:
In Schweinsteiger's place, rookie forward Elliot Collier got his first MLS start in Saturday's 2-1 loss, and his first goal.
Not bad for the third-round draft pick out of Loyola.
Collier, 23, trained with the Fire last summer. The 6-foot-4 Collier got the start ahead of first-round draft pick Jon Bakero, whom the Fire traded up to draft in January.
"He earned the opportunity and he did great," said Paunovic, adding Collier "has a high ceiling."
The ringer:
The Fire signed MLS veteran forward Alan Gordon on Friday, just in time to make the trip to Minnesota.
"It's not the way we wanted to start," Gordon said, "but me personally, I fit in well here and I've enjoyed my time so far."
Gordon was on trial with the Fire a few weeks before signing. The wait was not a worry.
"I just had to make sure it was the right fit for both sides," said Gordon, 36.