Needs More Ditka

For those who are into the beautiful game, the Chicago Fire start their season on Saturday, taking on their rival Dallas FC in a nightcap in Frisco, Texas, at the historic and venerable Pizza Hut Park.

And people say that MLS is a joke.

Well, the joke is on them. With a committed fan base, a great stadium in Bridgeview, and a squad that contends year in and year out, the Fire have become a staple of success, overlooked only because of oversaturation in the marketplace.

This year, the Fire will be looking to win their second MLS cup and contend for the Supporter’s shield (best regular season record) and the US Open Cup (a knockout tournament of the top three North American leagues.) To do that, they will ride the play of two aging superstars, Brian McBride, who came back to his hometown, Chicago, in a midseason deal last year, and Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Blanco is the most polarizing player in the game, but at times the best. The Fire were not sure if Blanco would return to the MLS for his third year, so every game with Blanco might be the last for the Fire. The Fire are sure title contenders with the spectacular midfielder, without him, there are questions.

That is not to say that Blanco equals success. There is still the question of Blanco and McBride playing together. Will they be a successful 1-2 scoring punch, or will the hype be more simmer than burn. Then comes the question of Blanco’s consistency. Like Manny Ramirez for the LA Dodgers, Blanco can stop playing at any time, including in the middle of games. The definitive hothead, Blanco will flop, scream and plead to give himself and his team an advantage, and one disagreement with a referee can turn him off for the rest of the game. Once that happens, slumps follow, regardless of whether Blanco wants to perform at full strength or not. Regardless if Blanco takes some time off, his desire to win is second to none and while he might not be the best role model for the younger Fire players, the Fire brass hopes that desire will be extra contagous this season.

Will Blanco change his ways in this, possibly his final season? Will The Fire be able to avoid the slump that defined their 2008 campaign? That remains to be seen and can only be answered on the field.

The Fire should line up like this in 2009:

G: Jon Busch

RB:Brandon Prideaux        CB: Wilman Conde                CB: Bakary Soumare     LB:Gonzalo Segares

CMF:Logan Pause

RF:Cuauhtemoc Blanco

LF: Justin Mapp

CMF: John Thorrington

S:Brian McBride        S: Chris Rolfe

On paper, this starting XI is by far the best in the league. The question for the Fire might be depth, but if the Fire avoid injuries and can execute their gameplan, there is no reason for the Fire not to be wildly successful in 2009.