Fire facing questions

The Fire is something of a mystery team.

After turning over half its roster, nobody really seems sure what to expect from this group, though after last year’s dismal season, expectations are being kept low.

Here are five questions the club will need to answer, starting with Saturday’s season opener at FC Dallas.

1. Can Carlos de los Cobos convince his players to follow him?It didn#146;t happen last season, but it seems to be going well so far this year.By all reports it was a happy preseason camp. The players are buying in, and that could make a world of difference.#147;They are showing a very good attitude,#148; de los Cobos said.#147;That#146;s one thing that we#146;re really excited about,#148; captain Logan Pause added. #147;It#146;s been a great start. Thus far we#146;ve got a great group of guys.#148;Patience might be key. It#146;s a group of mostly young players who still are learning to play together. They can#146;t count on a fast start.If the answer to this question turns out to be no, expect plenty more changes around Toyota Park, with de los Cobos leaving by November.2. Who will attract fans to Toyota Park?Let#146;s see: David Beckham and Landon Donovan arrive with the L.A. Galaxy on April 17; Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez bring the New York Red Bulls to Bridgeview on June 26.The Fire, of course, no longer has a Designated Player or anyone else with the star power to make fans want to come out on a Saturday night. Freddie Ljungberg, Nery Castillo, Brian McBride, Collins John, C.J. Brown and Wilman Conde all are gone.The team isn#146;t even playing well to Chicago#146;s ethnic communities. There are no Mexican players on the team, unless you count Orr Barouch, the Israel-born Californian on loan from the UANL Tigres youth system. There are a couple of Uruguayan forwards nobody had heard of before they were signed.There are no Polish players, but there is a Bosnian, a Croatian and a Serbian.There#146;s only one way the Fire will draw big crowds with this roster: Win.3. Can anyone here score?Well, there are forwards on the roster, including the two new 25-year-old Uruguayan forwards, Diego Chaves and Gaston Puerari.Neither arrives with jaw-dropping stats, and neither has made anyone forget Wayne Rooney just yet. The Fire scored twice in five preseason games.Marco Pappa scored seven times last year, and Patrick Nyarko had 10 assists from his right midfield spot.Technical director Frank Klopas will keep looking for help up front.4. Can Sean Johnson become a top goalkeeper?Frankly, he has to.If the team can#146;t score, it has to win with defense.Johnson showed a willingness to work hard, an ability to learn quickly, and amazing athleticism in his rookie season. In January he continued his education at the U.S. national team camp.He should be the Fire#146;s bright spot this year. If he suffers a sophomore slump, the club will be in big trouble. His backup is journeyman Jon Conway.5. Can the new back line protect Johnson?Going with a 3-5-2 formation, the Fire has used Josip Mikulic between Cory Gibbs and first-round draft pick Jalil Anibaba, none of whom were with the team last year.Still, it looks like defense will be the team#146;s strength. Those three performed well in the preseason, and there is quality depth behind them in Gonzalo Segares, Dasan Robinson and Steven Kinney, who hopes to return from injury in May.oschwarz@dailyherald.com