New Chicago Fire star Schweinsteiger fitting in just fine

Bastian Schweinsteiger seems to be fitting in just fine with his new Chicago Fire teammates and staff members. And the German superstar is clearly enjoying himself.

While he and his teammates got some good work in during Wednesday's training session, Schweinsteiger also took time to joke around with teammates and staff members. He joined a couple of teammates in teasing strength and conditioning coach Raphael Fevre while the coach did pushups after a drill, and he wrestled with one of the equipment managers after practice.

"Well sometimes I have fun. Most of the time I have fun," Schweinsteiger said while getting bumped by a laughing backup goalkeeper Matt Lampson. "Everyone is of good character, good people. They want to work. I want to work. It's fun."

The ease with which the former Bayern Munich and Manchester United man is adjusting to his new surroundings extends to living in Chicago.

"So far very well," said Schweinsteiger, who is married to retired tennis pro Ana Ivanovic. "I mean of course we're only here since two weeks, so it's a limited time. But everyone here is very polite, very friendly. We really enjoy it here in Chicago. It's a cool city, I guess, and we're looking forward to seeing it more."

The kid from Cary:

Drew Conner had played just 12 minutes in MLS when he entered last Saturday's match against Columbus in the 55th minute. Thirty-five minutes later he had made Fire fans a lot more optimistic about his future.

Conner, a Cary resident who grew up playing for the Fire Academy and went to the University of Wisconsin, made two memorable runs into the Columbus penalty area, one of which resulted in a dangerous Fire free kick just outside the box.

"That was kind of like a glimpse into my college years," said Conner, who didn't get even a minute of playing time for the Fire last year. "In college, like my freshman and a little bit my sophomore year, I kind of played wide and in some more attacking roles.

"When I picked up that first ball on that run I found myself in a spot that I'm normally not in on the field because (forward Michael) de Leeuw tucked in so far. So I tried to create some space for him by going a little bit higher. So when I picked up the ball I was between the defensive and midfield lines and saw a ton of space and kind of ran with it."

It was a strong showing from the 23-year-old, who had just returned from a minor ankle injury.

The timing of his entry into the game surprised him also.

"Usually I start looking at the clock around the 65th, 70th minute, wondering when they're going to make that first change, because that's usually when it comes," he said. "So we were just walking over (to the end line) to warm up. We hadn't even officially started our warmup with (Fevre)."

The draft pick:

Another youngster who has impressed with his showing the last two games is rookie Daniel Johnson, the Fire's first-round draft pick out of Louisville. Johnson, 21, has shown confidence and skill with the ball at his feet.

"I feel really good," Johnson said. "Obviously, the adjustment coming into a professional locker room and not wanting to turn some guys off being a rookie, doing too much and just feeling my way into it a little bit, I feel like I'm coming into it a lot more.

"I'm a little more comfortable since preseason and just have a lot of confidence right now."

Coach Veljko Paunovic and his staff have noticed also.

"They've been really pleased," said Johnson, an outside midfielder. "Pauno sort of alluded to the fact that they had faith and they believed and they were confident in my ability and were just waiting for the right moment to give me my opportunity, and I really respect them for that.

"As a young player you want to sort of not be baptized by fire, so to speak. You want to get thrown into a match where you have the opportunity to succeed and I think they did that really well, waiting three or so games and then finally feeling like the time was right. Obviously, I had to make the most of it and I feel like I have."

The forgotten man:

Third-year midfielder Matt Polster, 23, was sidelined early in the preseason by a knee strain, but he worked with his teammates Wednesday and said he's 100 percent.

"I think I'm finally getting back in the swing of things," he said. "It took a little longer than expected, but I think the staff and the training staff especially wanted to take it a little bit slower this time around, make sure it's 100 percent."

Polster and Paunovic agreed the midfielder could find himself on the substitute's list for Saturday's home game against New England (4 p.m., Comcast SportsNet Plus) for the first time this season.

Polster returns to a midfield that is much more crowded than the one he played a key role in the past two seasons. Not only has the Fire added Schweinsteiger, but highly regarded veterans Juninho and Dax McCarty also are in their first season in Chicago. Then there are Conner and promising first-year homegrown player Djordje Mihailovic from Lemont who also feel most comfortable in central midfield and are pressing for playing time.

Polster said he talked with Paunovic about what his role will be, but both the player and the coach opted to keep the details to themselves.

"We talked quite a bit. There is a plan for me, so that was good to hear from him, especially with all the new players we picked up," Polster said. "So it was nice to hear that they have a plan, they know what they want to do with me this season. Like I said, I just have to get back into the team and just work hard."