Not the ideal way for Fire's Gutierrez to go out
Diego Gutierrez wandered around the Chicago Fire's despondent postgame locker room last week in Columbus looking not quite sure what to do.
What do you do when your career as a professional soccer player has just come to an end in a conference championship game loss?
"It's tough to try to summon positive memories," Gutierrez said. "There's a lot of pain and frustration and disappointment as a group. But I think I'll have time tomorrow and the days to come to sit down and go over the moments. It'll come naturally. I'm blessed that I had a very good career. It's just right now it doesn't feel very pleasant."
While we know for sure Gutierrez - who last spring announced he would retire after this season - won't be back for the 2009 season, there's much we don't know but will enjoy speculating about.
Doubtful to return: It'll be an upset if forwards Tomasz Frankowski and Andy Herron are in Chicago next season. Both make six figures, a lot of money by MLS standards. Neither contributed much on the field.
Questionable to return: Like Diego Gutierrez, defender C.J. Brown is a Fire original. But Brown, 33, played in just three games while hampered much of the season by a leg injury. He's a sentimental favorite to stay, but his contract is up, and he might have to take a pay cut if he wants to stick around for a 12th season.
There might be a spot for Brown if the Fire grants central defender Wilman Conde his wish and either trades him to New York (unlikely) or lets him transfer out of the league, either to Mexico or Europe probably.
"As far as I'm concerned he's under contract, so I don't know why he wouldn't be back," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said Tuesday, though he acknowledged the team would listen if there was interest in Conde.
Probable to return: Frank Klopas is planning for Cuauhtémoc Blanco to come back, though he said of Blanco's contract option, "That's the league's call." Only in MLS.
Expansion draft: With Seattle Sounders FC joining the league next season, the Fire will lose a player in Wednesday's expansion draft. At 32, right back Brandon Prideaux could be left unprotected, as could fast young forward Calen Carr, who missed the second half of the season with an ACL tear.
Reserves Dasan Robinson, Daniel Woolard, Mike Banner and Stephen King also are candidates to go to the Pacific Northwest.
Along with the other starters, the Fire probably will want to protect 2008 first-round draft pick Patrick Nyarko as well as 21-year-old Marco Pappa, who came on loan in midseason and showed a lot in his brief stints. But that equals 12.
The Fire must name its 11 protected players by Monday. It would be easier to choose, Frank Klopas said, if Seattle had named a coach.
Needs: Frank Klopas said he's always looking to improve every spot, but the Fire might look for a backup goalkeeper, going this season with untested Nick Noble after 2008 first-rounder Dominic Cervi decided not to sign with the team.
With Andy Herron, Tomasz Frankowski and possibly Wilman Conde leaving, the Fire could have some money to spend under the salary cap. C.J. Brown, Dasan Robinson, Lider Marmol or Daniel Woolard could take Conde's spot, but the Fire will need to get a playmaker soon, whether Cuauhtémoc Blanco, 35, leaves this year or next.
The Fire lost its 2009 first-round draft pick in the Brian McBride deal.
Note: With the Fire season over, this will be the last regular soccer column for a while. It will reappear during the off-season as news warrants. Meanwhile, MLS Cup is at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on Channel 7.
oschwarz@dailyherald.com