Facing ‘tough decisions,’ Chicago Fire releases Ivan Guerrero

Time ran out for Ivan Guerrero. He won’t be the last player in the Chicago Fire’s preseason training camp to be released.

“This phase we’re still looking to make some tough decisions in the end,” Fire coach Frank Klopas said from Charleston, S.C., where the club is in the third and final phase of preseason training ahead of its March 17 season opener at expansion Montreal.

The Fire has 30 players on the roster, the league maximum, but Klopas hopes to trim the roster to the minimum of 28 — and he’s not ruling out bringing more trialists into camp.

Guerrero, 34, moved his family to Chicago from Honduras and hoped to catch on for a second tour with the Fire. It didn’t work out, but he might still find some role in the organization.

Klopas seems to be leaning toward second-round draft pick Hunter Jumper to back up Gonzalo Segares at left defender.

“In the end we felt that Hunter is coming along really well,” Klopas said. “He’s a young player. We just felt good about Hunter. It’s not always easy because (Guerrero) is a very good guy. Hunter’s a young fella, but he’s going to have the opportunity to contribute a lot.”

That might also spell trouble for last season’s feel-good story, open-tryout winner Pari Pantazopoulos of Mount. Prospect. Pantazopoulos backed up Segares in 2011 and hopes to come back for a second season.

“It’s going to be tough,” Klopas said. “We have a lot of guys fighting for the last few spots.”

Checking on the rookies:Klopas said Jumper and top pick Austin Berry, a central defender, continue to impress. Forward Lucky Mkosana, like Jumper a second-rounder is struggling a little, mainly because he leaves camp occasionally to work toward finishing his degree at Dartmouth.#147;We get him a little bit here and there for every phase, so that#146;s been a little bit more diffciult,#148; Klopas said. #147;It takes time, because we need him to be in this environment. When he goes away it takes a little while for him to get back to speed.#148;He#146;s due to return to camp from school Saturday.Leaving camp:What does Dominic Oduro have in common with Marco Pappa, Sean Johnson, Victor Pineda and Orr Barouch?Oduro will leave the Fire#146;s preseason training camp Sunday to join his national team for a game. He was called up by Ghana on Thursday for the first time and will go to Philadelphia for a Wednesday game.#147;It#146;s really exciting for me,#148; Oduro told chicago-fire.com. #147;I think as a player it#146;s one of your dreams to play for your country. Being called upon is something I#146;ve been looking forward to for a long time and it really feels like one of my dreams coming true.#148;Ÿ Follow Orrin#146;s soccer reports via Twitter @orrinsoccer.