Different outlook: New day dawns for Fire and its coach
New faces were everywhere at the Max in McCook, where the Fire met Wednesday for preseason training before heading to Phoenix on Thursday. This is a year of change, and the whole organization seems to believe it's for the better.
"The quality of players this preseason is a lot better than last year," said second-year midfielder Baggio Husidic. "Just better players. The drills we're doing are a bit different, the way we're approaching preseason is different. We're already doing a lot of ball work."
The new faces included rookies Corben Bone and Kwame Watson-Siriboe, transfers such as Julio Martinez (Krzysztof Krol still was en route from Poland) and players here on trial such as former Fulham standout Collins John, who looked like a force while finishing his chances Wednesday.
"Probably out of all the teams, we've lost the most starting players from Nov. 14 to now," goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "We've got some holes to fill. We've got some work to do in the next 6-7 weeks."
But the biggest change is coach Carlos de los Cobos and his attempt to institute a new way of doing things.
Just three days into the de los Cobos era, the players' first impressions are very good.
"Fantastic coach. Fantastic personality," said Husidic, a former Libertyville High School and UIC player.
Where former coach Denis Hamlett could be gruff, de los Cobos is warm and friendly. He has brought with him Alvaro Briones, known as "The Professor" from the El Salvador national team staff. Briones will serve as fitness coach, and he was putting his new pupils through their paces Wednesday.
De los Cobos is opening the first-team practices to the Fire's player development system, inviting the U-16 players to preseason training in Jackson, Miss., the U-18s to Mexico. It's a small but important step. And it suggests that de los Cobos is looking to build something for the long-term in Chicago.
On and off the field, de los Cobos appears to be cultivating a new mentality with the Fire.
He talks of a more technical, fluid style of play with rapid ball movement, as shown by Wednesday's emphasis on one-touch and two-touch scrimmages. But where other foreign coaches made the mistake of forcing their ways on American players, de los Cobos seems ready to meet his players halfway and patiently work with them to improve and adjust.
"I have a feeling it's going to be a totally different style than anything we've ever been a part of," said Fire original and captain C.J. Brown. "That's always exciting and fun to be a part of."
"Personally, I try and just take everything and listen as much as possible," said veteran forward Brian McBride, who has played for a number of coaches. "It's important you don't try and do too much as a player, because then you could cause yourself some problems, but you gradually try and add and grow as a player."
Even the Fire's formation will change, with a 3-5-2 possible but a 4-1-4-1 more likely to take advantage of what de los Cobos sees as a wealth of midfielders.
"We have a good midfield, a very good midfield," de los Cobos said. "We need to take advantage of this."
It's just speculation, but the opening-day lineup at New York on March 27 could feature Busch back in goal, with Krol, C.J. Brown, Wilman Conde and Tim Ward in the back four.
Logan Pause could bridge the gap between the next four: Marco Pappa, John Thorrington and Martinez with either Husidic, Bone, Peter Lowry or Patrick Nyarko. McBride would be up top.
In a league that is a little bit stale in the way it approaches the game, de los Cobos aims to be a breath of fresh air, and so far everyone seems to be buying what he's selling.
"I think it's gone off on a good way," Brown said of the new coach. "I've talked to a lot of guys and a lot of guys are happy with it."
It's the preseason. There's a long way to go, and the Fire has a lot of work to do to adjust to the new coach, his new style of play and to integrate all the new players.
But even a media skeptic can succumb to some optimism.
oschwarz@dailyherald.com