Knowing Marco Pappa is in the lineup doesn't mean you are going to find him easily on the field.
Pappa is the second-year midfielder for the Chicago Fire, and he has started the first three games of the season in place of veteran midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the Mexican superstar who is just now rounding into fitness after a preseason knee injury.
Pappa, 21, scored the game's only goal last week when the Fire topped the New York Red Bulls in the Fire's home opener, stretching the team's unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1) through the first three games of the season.
The things most noticeable about Pappa on the field are his speed, and his willingness to mix it up physically, despite his smallish frame. But the aspect of the game that will raise eyebrows every time is his penchant for being wherever the ball is.
Simply put, Pappa wanders. No, that conjures an image of someone moving slowly. In Pappa's case, it is fair to say he roams.
Fire coach Denis Hamlett laughed when asked about Pappa's tendency to be "all over the place."
"It's a plus and a negative," Hamlett said. "Sometimes his energy and being in different spots causes other teams problems. There are times when it puts us out of balance and causes us some problems. But it is something we are working on."
"I guess I do run around a lot," Pappa said. "But my strength as a player is to see the spaces on the field and use them."
That he does, at great speed.
Pappa, 21, was discovered by Fire technical director Frank Klopas, who saw him on a DVD playing for Guatemala in an Olympic qualifier in Los Angeles. He showed Hamlett the DVD before inviting Pappa to work out with the Fire last season.
"You could see the guy is very energetic, and he likes to take people on," Hamlett said. "He uses both feet, he is always looking to attack, and he is very skillful on the ball."
The Fire completed loan negotiations with CSD Municipal for Pappa's services on July 30 of last year. He got his first MLS start on Aug. 2, played in six games with three starts last season, and was impossible not to notice.
Now in his second season in MLS, he said his comfort level has grown to the point he hopes to get to stay for a while.
"I want to stay here with the Fire," Pappa said. "I think my time here is going very well and I really like the team, my teammates and the city so I hope that I can continue to contribute to the success of the team and support my teammates here in Chicago."
Pappa said MLS compares favorably to his club play in Guatemala.
"The difference is that the game here is more physical," Pappa said. "In Guatemala the game is more tactical and slower."
Pappa's ability to react to the speed of the game ended up providing the winning goal Sunday.
A long ball played into the box was headed out by a New York defender, right to Pappa standing dead center a few feet outside the penalty area. Pappa put a quick left foot on the ball, sending it to the left post, where it careened straight along the goal line before crawling over the line and into the goal.
Pappa claimed he wasn't trying to score, but Hamlett said Pappa was being modest.
"He knew exactly what he was doing," Hamlett said. "He set himself up in that position. Last week against D.C. United, there was a play that was sort of the same, where a ball popped out at him on a free kick, and we made the comment to him to just try to get it on frame. He took that to heart. On the goal, it was just a matter of not overswinging, and getting enough contact to put it on frame."
That was the first of what the Fire hope are many more goals from Pappa, who is likely to be sharing minutes with Blanco now that Blanco is back and ready to play 90 minutes.
"You can see the kid has a lot of talent," Hamlett said. "He is getting used to our league and his surroundings. You are seeing the benefits of him being around our team and being more established."
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
