Rodriguez determined to stay with process
Anyone expecting Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez to abandon his rebuilding process because of the team's poor start to this season underestimates his determination.
"My job is to look beyond results, to look beyond wins and losses to ensure that ... the building process that we're following is on track," Rodriguez said in a meeting with the media to mark the MLS season reaching roughly its one-third mark when the Fire hosts Houston (4 p.m. Saturday, Comcast SportsNet Plus). "And I can't say that enough because sometimes you can be on a winning streak and believe that everything is fine when it really isn't, when the foundation is actually faulty. I need to ensure that we're disciplined in our approach."
What's becoming clear is that Rodriguez and Fire fans will need to have a great deal of patience because there is much work to do. The Fire (1-5-4, 7 points) is in last place in the weak Eastern Conference and has lost its last three games. Just managing a shot on goal, much less an actual goal, has been something fans mockingly celebrate.
Barring an amazing turnaround, the Fire will miss the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, a difficult feat considering 60 percent of MLS teams play in the postseason.
It's hard to imagine, but this team could be even worse than last year's MLS bottom feeder.
Being asked for still further patience will be tough for fans to accept, but Rodriguez offered no alternative.
Help - beyond Dutch forward Michael de Leeuw, whose signing was announced earlier this week and who can take the field in July - is not on the way. Rodriguez said the Fire should "skip the summer (transfer) window."
Wait till January.
Despite the poor start Rodriguez sees some positives. He sees growth.
"We are starting to forge our identity," he said.
Rodriguez will not be deterred. He will not show panic. He continues to believe in first-year coach Veljko Paunovic and his staff.
"They fuel me with belief and optimism," Rodriguez said.
He insists the players are "men who will not yield to circumstance, who will not yield to what would be a natural creep of pessimism that would come about as a result of our start. And I feel strongly about that."
That Rodriguez is convinced of this is no surprise. He's just 10 games into a three- to five-year plan.
But for most Fire fans, there is no mere creep of pessimism about this season's start. It's a tsunami of despair.
Follow Orrin on Twitter @Orrin_Schwarz
Fire scouting report
Houston Dynamo at Chicago Fire, 4 p.m. at Toyota Park
TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus
Scouting the Dynamo: Houston (3-6-2, 11 points) is in last place in the Western Conference and has lost all five road games this season. The Dynamo features former Fire players Jalil Anibaba and Brazilian midfielder Alex. Giles Barnes leads Houston with 4 goals.
Scouting the Fire: The Fire (1-5-4, 7 points) is in last place in the Eastern Conference. This will be the fourth game in 11 days for the Fire, which returns from an eight-day road trip with a three-game losing streak. The Fire has just 5 goals in its past nine games and struggles to get more than 2 shots on goal in a game. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson played his first game of the season Wednesday. Midfielder David Accam is suspended for this game.
Next: Portland Timbers, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Park.
- Orrin Schwarz