A twist or turn could emerge, but Chicago Fire FC head coach Raphael Wicky doesn’t anticipate any additions before the 2021 MLS season gets underway.
Rather, the Swiss coach is pleased with the players at his disposal as the club continues to progress during his second year at the helm.
“Of course the club is always looking for players, is always scouting players,” Wicky said on a virtual media call Thursday. “But right now we're not talking about immediate new signings. You just never know in the game, but right now I'm very happy with this roster.”
Chicago’s offseason business largely occurred before 2020 MLS Cup, with right back Jhon Espinoza and forwards Chinonso Offor and Stanislav Ivanov all signed well before mid-December. They also brought in highly-regarded Colombian forward Jhon Jader Duran, though transfer regulations mean the 17-year-old can’t join until 2022.
In the meantime, Chicago are building around a core that was assembled under the clock when Wicky, sporting director Georg Heitz and technical director Sebastian Pelzer were all hired ahead of the 2020 campaign. They narrowly missed the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs a season ago – they were the last Eastern Conference team out – and are confident that progress is near.
“This is our roster we are planning to go into the season [with],” Wicky said. “A roster I'm very, very happy with. I think we have, when everyone's here ... we have a lot of competition in a lot of positions and I'm very, very happy with that roster.”
On the domestic front, they’re spearheaded by center back Mauricio Pineda, who’s with the United States U-23s at Concacaf Olympic qualifiers. Otherwise, it’s an international-laden mix that includes midfielder Gaston Gimenez and forward Robert Beric – two of the club’s Designated Players – alongside midfielder Alvaro Medran and attacking midfielder/winger Ignacio Aliseda. The return of center back/midfielder Johan Kappelhof offers a nice boost, too.
Other players could step up, particularly from the homegrown mix, as preseason continues in Florida. They'll open April 17 at home against the New England Revolution, then travel to face Atlanta United on April 24.
“The intensity is very high in training, the competition's there and hopefully everyone stays healthy and then we have a lot of competition there,” Wicky said.
