Stalwart Gibbs’ knee injury hits Fire hard
The Chicago Fire’s signing of former German international Arne Friedrich seems especially smart now that central defender Cory Gibbs is out 4-6 months with a knee injury.
The meniscus surgery that sidelined Gibbs on Tuesday robbed the Fire of one of its stalwarts. Gibbs was a steal in the MLS re-entry draft in 2010, a true professional on and off the field who provided a veteran’s steadying influence on the back line.
“It’s one of the saddest things to see any player on the team go down,” said fellow central defender Jalil Anibaba, calling Gibbs his mentor. “Especially for me it’s difficult to see Cory out for so long just because he brings so much to the team. It will be a difficult transition period for us.”
“Just another veteran leader with a ton of experience, especially in the back line,” captain Logan Pause said of Gibbs. “It’s a big loss, not just on the field but what he adds in the locker room. His personality, his leadership, his professionalism. Those are things that are hard. But listen, he’s still part of our team. He still will play a role in helping us.”
The question of who would sit when Friedrich was ready to play is now mute; the answer is Gibbs. The 32-year-old Friedrich, with experience playing in two World Cups, will pair with Anibaba, the promising second-year pro from the University of North Carolina, in the middle of a defense that should remain the Fire’s strength.
Friedrich had targeted Sunday’s home match against the Houston Dynamo (6 p.m., Comcast SportsNet, Galavision) for his MLS debut after a few weeks to build up his fitness level. The 88 minutes he played last Saturday in an exhibition match against the University of Louisville show he is ready to step into the breach. The transition might not be seamless, but Friedrich will make it as smooth as possible.
“It’s been good,” Anibaba said of working next to Friedrich. “He’s very, very easy to work with. He’s a great team player. He’s definitely someone that I’m going to look forward to learning from as well. I think as far as what we need to work on, it’s just building cohesion between me and him and the rest of the guys.”
There is still more depth if needed at center back, with rookies Austin Berry and Hunter Jumper and third-year pro Kwame Watson-Siriboe. The Fire hopes they aren’t needed and the rookies can be brought along slowly.
And coach Frank Klopas hopes Gibbs’ recovery progresses quickly.
“I hope so,” Klopas said. “He’s always taken good care of his body. Everyone heals different. We’re very optimistic he will be (back this season).”
Meanwhile, the Fire will try again to uncork its attack against Houston. The Fire has managed just two goals in three games this season, both by forward Dominic Oduro. The Fire’s team total pales next to the 7 goals Thierry Henry has scored, and his New York teammate Kenny Cooper also has 6 goals in the Red Bulls’ five games.
Follow Orrin on Twitter @orrinsoccer.