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The Chicago Fire re-signed often-injured forward Calen Carr on Monday.

Carr, who is entering his fifth season with the Fire, missed much of the 2008 and 2009 seasons because of a reoccurring knee injury that limited him to 19 games and 364 minutes over two seasons.

Carr, 27, was drafted 10th overall in the first round of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of California.

The Chicago Fire re-signed forward Calen Carr on Monday, and that got me to thinking about some players on the team's roster who are in need of a rebound season in 2010. Here are just a few that stand out:
Calen Carr: Knee injuries have hampered Carr so much so that he has only played the equivalent of roughly four full games in two seasons if you roll all his minutes together. Unfortunately in his sporadic playing time in 2009, Carr came up empty. He had a wide-left attempt during the Fire's 2-2 draw against Toronto FC in late September, and the Toyota Park crowd groaned in unison as Carr missed a golden chance for the game-winner in stoppage time. It's unfair to use this moment to completely label his limited season, but those are the situations that define his role. Carr has shown in the past that he can come up with a clutch play in limited playing time, and that could lend itself to additional opportunities. He needs to make sure that the injury bug isn't the main reason for limiting his time on the pitch.

John Thorrington: Thorrington was a necessary spark for the Fire when they advanced past the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year. It's just too bad we could not see a full season of that energy. Whether it was an injury or a pair of red cards shortening his stint on the field, we did not see enough of Thorrington, who only contributed one assist and did not find the back of the net during the regular season. That was his follow-up to a five-goal, two-assist 2008 campaign. Thorrington's amped-up energy is an asset when he plays the ball cleanly and he's completely healthy. Thorrington could certainly put together a solid campaign this year, and he will have to in order to compensate for the losses of Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe in the midfield.

Justin Mapp: Mapp's playing time went down dramatically last year. There probably were a few other games in there where you could justify less playing time than the 1,013 minutes he saw. For Mapp himself and even the casual soccer fan, it's no mystery he didn't perform at a high level -- one goal and three assists. That followed a four-year stretch in which Mapp posted eight assists in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Chicago protected Mapp this offseason so the expansion Philadelphia Union couldn't latch onto him. The Fire obviously feel that there still is some value within that left foot of his, but the 25-year-old midfielder has a lot to prove heading into the 2010 season.

Midfielder Jesse Marsch, an MLS Original who played for the Chicago Fire from 1998 to 2005, has retired from Major League Soccer to take on a new position as an assistant coach for the U.S. men's national team.

Marsch concluded his 14-year MLS career with Chivas USA and now will be a part of USMNT coach Bob Bradley's crew as the team prepares for the FIFA World Cup later this year in South Africa.

"I have had the opportunity to work with Jesse for many years, and I believe the knowledge and experience he brings will be a great benefit to both the players and the coaching staff," Bradley said.

Bradley's ties with Marsch run deep, from Marsch's collegiate days in Princeton to his brief tenure at D.C. United when Bradley was an assistant, to the early years with the Fire, and then with Chivas in 2006.

The Racine, Wis., native was in the hunt for the Fire's head coach opening this offseason.

Goalkeeper coach trial: Some die-hard Fire fans probably are wondering why there still is a TBD next to the Fire's goalkeeper coach listing.

The man who could fill that role is Aron Hyde, a Birmingham, England, native who previously played at Judson College (now Judson University) in Elgin, Ill. His goals against average with Judson from 2003-04 was 0.77, and that mark currently is the seventh-lowest in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics history.

"I guess he's on a trial period. That is what [technical director] Frank [Klopas] told me," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said earlier this week. "I don't know how long that trial period is. It's none of my business. It is my business, but it isn't my business. My job, regardless of who it is, is to make sure that I'm ready for Opening Day. As I was once told, players are paid to play. They're not paid to think or ask questions."

Hyde previously helped with Seattle University's men's and women's programs as the goalkeeper coach for both squads.

If Hyde steps in, he would take the goalkeeper coach position previously held by Daryl Shore, who had been with the Fire since 2000.

PDL schedule announced: Chicago Fire Premier unveiled its 2010 Premier Development League schedule on Friday. The team's 16-game regular season starts on May 19 when Chicago hosts the Kalamazoo Outrage at 6 p.m. at Toyota Park.

McCOOK, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's veteran core players understand the nuances of playing with various coaches and systems.

Whether you're a rookie or a well-traveled player such as forward Brian McBride, you're always required to adjust your game to fit with the vision that your coaching staff and management have in mind.

"As a player, anytime you come into a new situation, whether you're coming to a new team or there's a new coach -- in soccer, players come and go all the time -- adapting is one of the biggest parts," McBride said. "Trying to understand what the coach wants from you as an individual and as a player. So personally I just try to take in everything and listen as much as possible. It's important that you don't try and do too much as a player because that could cause yourself some problems. But you gradually try to grow as a player."

As preseason gets going, it's only natural to wonder how new head coach Carlos de los Cobos' style will resonate with the players. It's natural to question how quickly the team can gel, especially since some new players will have to step up, whether that's in the starting role or off the bench.

"It always takes time," defender C.J. Brown said. "Even if we came back with the same group, you've been off for two months and you've got to come back and just get your feet under you and get your fitness back. I don't think there's pressure to do it now. I know we want to have good performances and we want to have our training sharp. You have to put in the effort, and we're going to pressure guys to put in that effort."

The old "marathon, not a sprint" cliché is so fitting for anyone in the MLS. Most of the league's teams last year had a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. Teams like the Fire had a respectable start while utilizing a good returning core of a players, but then sputtered at the end of the regular season before eventually locking a playoff spot in their final regular season game. Others, such as MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake, found their footing at the end of the season and surprised many folks when they won the crown.

"Does it matter if you're 5-0 [at the start] but then splash out in the first round? Or if you're 1-4 and you win the MLS Cup?" goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "At the end of the day, you're only measured on what you do at the end. We want to get off to a decent start. What does that mean? I don't know. 2-2? 3-2? 5-0? You can always look back and say that was a good start. But right now it's just day-by-day for us. Let's concentrate on each day of preseason and go from there. If we get better each and every day, by the time the games come around at the end of March, we'll be in good shape."

If it means a few bumpy patches early on before finding their stride in the end, the Fire gladly would accept that notion.

McCOOK, Ill. -- It is pretty difficult to judge the direction of a team with only two preseason training sessions under your belt. Like any team that has had a two-month offseason, the Chicago Fire players and staff were excited to get going again following Wednesday's late morning session at McCook Athletic and Exposition.

The team is headed to warmer pastures in Phoenix, but this year's Fire got their preseason going indoors beforehand.

Unlike the 2009 preseason, there have been a lot of changes heading into this season with a new head coach in Carlos de los Cobos and the departure of a bunch of starters, including midfielders Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe, defender Gonzalo Segares and the retirement of Brandon Prideaux.

"We've got some work to do, and we've got some holes to fill," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "Of all the teams, we probably lost the most starting players from Nov. 14 to now. We lost four or five starting players. ... We've got some work to do in the next six or seven weeks."

New left defensive back Krzysztof Krol is joining the Fire in Arizona.

Busch has gotten to know defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe, the Fire's second-round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of Connecticut.

"I'm already very high on Kwame," Busch said. "I've only spent two days with him, but playing in here, he's a big strong kid. He's going to go through his learning curve, but I'm excited to be able to work with him."

One trialist with the Fire is 24-year-old forward Collins John, a former Fulham teammate of Fire target forward Brian McBride. If all goes well in training this preseason, John could prove to be a valuable offensive commodity.

"Collins is a very talented player," McBride said. "He's strong, he's quick. He's got experience. He understands the need to play the ball quickly. So seeing the field quickly is important. He's shown that he can adapt to that. I think he's got a lot to offer. He's very much a goal-scoring oriented forward, and he's very good at doing that. He's got a powerful shot. He's not an easy guy to hold down or keep down."

Wednesday's training emphasized a lot of short, quick touches, sharp movement with the ball and off the ball. It wasn't anything to read heavily into, but there certainly is an attacking vibe that the players and staff want to latch on to in the early going.

The players had their own early interpretations of what De los Cobos is looking for, but this is only after two days, neither of which was on an outdoor pitch.

"I don't know what his style of play will be. It's only the second day. I'm not sure," McBride said. "As far as my style of play, I've been all over the place. I've played in different situations, in different positions. As a player I have to adapt to whatever he wants from the team. And I hope to be a part of it."

"Attacking-minded is good for me, because the more we're attacking, the less defending I have to do," veteran defender C.J. Brown said. "But at the end of the day it's hard to judge that now because we've all got to get used to where he's going to put us. And it depends on the style. But the good thing is he wants to keep the ball moving and he wants guys to stay compact."

Major League Soccer announced its full 2010 schedule Wednesday. The Chicago Fire start their regular season on the road when they travel to the brand-new Red Bull Arena to take on the New York Red Bulls at 6 p.m. CT on March 27. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The Fire's full 30-game MLS schedule is available at Chicago-Fire.com.

Among some of the notable Fire games are their first two matches against the expansion Philadelphia Union. Fire alum and Union head coach Peter Nowak's squad travels to Toyota Park for a 7:30 p.m. match on June 5 (ESPN). The second leg at Philadelphia takes place on Sept. 11. By then, the Union's new stadium in Chester, Pa., will be open for business.

On July 8, the Fire face Real Salt Lake for the first time since falling to RSL in the Eastern Conference Final in a shootout. Chicago had a win and a draw in its two regular-season meetings against Real last year. The playoffs were a different story. Game time is at 8:30 p.m. at Toyota Park (ESPN2).

Not yet listed on the schedule is SuperLiga 2010. The Fire, Chivas USA, Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution represent the MLS side. Details of Mexico's Primera A opponents and tournament dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Midweek at TP: One notable element of the Fire's 2010 schedule is two Wednesday and two Thursday matches at Toyota Park. Hopefully for the team's sake, their supporters can duck out of a portion of their workweek a little early. Among last year's league home games, the Fire had only one Wednesday match against the Los Angeles Galaxy and one Thursday match to end the regular season portion of their schedule against Chivas USA.

More than two months have passed since the Chicago Fire parted ways with head coach Denis Hamlett in November.

It was an incredibly quiet exit, one that included a deflating Eastern Conference Final loss to eventual MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake on Nov. 14, 2009, at Toyota Park, followed by the Nov. 24 announcement that the Fire would not pursue extending his contract.

There was no final comment from the man who was a part of the Fire organization for its entirety, starting out as an assistant in 1998 and ending with two seasons at the helm for 2008 and 2009.

So some curiosity is out there: What is next on the docket for Hamlett?

In a brief phone chat -- very brief -- Hamlett did not reveal much, only saying that he is in the process of looking for another soccer coaching position.

"I've got some stuff I'm working on, but I'd like to keep it on the down low for right now," Hamlett said. "When it gets done, I'll be more than happy to fill you in on the details."

Hamlett declined comment regarding the Fire's decision to not extend his contract following the 2009 season, and he did not want to field any other questions related to the organization, simply saying, "I don't think the timing is right."

We can only speculate at this point as to where Hamlett could end up. The highly defensive-minded coach did not match up with current Fire management's vision and expectations. But with 12 years' worth of MLS coaching experience under his belt, the first 10 as an assistant, it would be surprising to not see him latch onto a position in the near future.

Sanneh not in Galaxy preseason training: The Los Angeles Galaxy announced their preseason training camp roster about a week ago, and head coach Bruce Arena did not invite former Fire defender Tony Sanneh. The 38-year-old Sanneh played in 13 regular season games for the MLS Cup runner-up squad last season. It was just a shade more than five years ago (Jan. 30, 2005) when Sanneh joined the Fire organization, while Chicago sent forward Ante Razov to the Columbus Crew.

The Chicago Fire are gearing up for their 2010 preseason, with players joining the team for physicals on Monday, followed by two days of training at McCook Athletic and Exposition. Training is closed to the general public on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Fire then depart for Phoenix on Thursday, and their first preseason match will be against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Feb. 15.

Here is an early look at the Fire's preseason game schedule:

Feb. 15: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, at Arizona State University Soccer Stadium (2 p.m. MST)
Feb. 25: Game TBD, in Mexico
March 3: Game TBD, in Mexico
March 7: vs. FC Dallas, at M&T Bank Stadium, 3 p.m. (CST) in Ridgeland, Miss.
March 13: Game TBD, in New Orleans

CBA talks: This Sunday, MLS's and the MLS Players Union's collective bargaining agreement expires. But on Thursday the two sides announced that they will to continue negotiations through Feb. 12. Players union executive director Bob Foose said that MLS players and preparation for training camp will continue as planned.

"While we still have areas of disagreement, the talks have been constructive and both parties believe it makes sense to continue to work hard to reach [an] agreement," MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement.

John gets his shot: For the past couple of weeks, multiple reports have linked former Fulham striker Collins John as a possible addition for the 2010 Fire. The 24-year-old forward is a former Fulham teammate of Fire target forward Brian McBride. The signs are leaning toward John being a piece of the Fire's puzzle if things go to plan this preseason. Sam Stejskal (Chicago Fire Confidential) recently spoke with Fire technical director Frank Klopas:

"I've met with Collins and we know he's a quality player," Klopas said. "... Our goal is to bring him into camp and give him an opportunity to see how he fits in and make a decision at that time."

It is evident that Chicago native Tom Soehn would have welcomed the Fire's head coaching position with open arms. He was in the mix for the job, and his ties as a Fire player (1998-2000) and assistant (2001-03) are well known.

Fire management for its own reasons instead went with former El Salvador National Team head coach Carlos de los Cobos. Soehn was out of the Fire's picture, but he had another position in the works -- the opportunity to join Vancouver as it prepares for a 2011 Major League Soccer debut.

"Both of them were good scenarios -- one, coaching back for the team I played for, and being a local from the Chicago area, and the other building something from scratch," Soehn said. "I couldn't find a better scenario to do that."

Last week, Soehn was named the Vancouver Whitecaps' director of operations, and the team will play for one season in USSF Division 2 before moving to the MLS ranks. The lead-up to the job started when he approached the organization in November.

"I had a good feeling about what Vancouver was trying to accomplish," Soehn said. "The ownership is very dedicated, and we have the same ideals. They're proactive, and they want to make sure they do it right. It was very appealing."

As Vancouver prepares for 2011, Soehn will be in a much different situation with a new organization. Last season, his tenure as D.C. United's head coach came to a close. As we saw last season, a highly successful long-term organization like D.C. fell short of the playoffs, while 2009 expansion club Seattle Sounders FC immediately reached the postseason. That simply is the nature of the beast in a league that wants parity.

"There are different challenges for every organization. The league is built on parity," Soehn said. "If you don't do well, there are many assets to make you do better. I think we have the luxury of the fact that we have an existing team."

Soehn no longer is in the topsy-turvy coaching realm, but the high expectations that come with the operations position are just as high as he utilizes his MLS experience to kick things off quickly in Vancouver.

"I don't know if you ever leave that," Soehn said of the coaching highs and lows. "As a player or a coach, you're used to the competitive environment, so I can't focus on what too many other people think. You're always critical of yourself, and as the director of soccer operations, I'm going to challenge myself."

More and more, we're seeing lower-level professional teams have an impact against the MLS field. Just take last year's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, where the Fire lost to a United Soccer Leagues Second Division team (Wilmington Hammerheads) and the USL First Division's Rochester Rhinos had a successful run.

Potential talent is out there in many shapes and sizes, and Soehn hopes he can assemble some top-notch pieces a year from now.

"It's been shown -- guys making it from the minor leagues to making MLS," Soehn said. "It's happened so often. There are a lot of jewels out there who can play on a regular basis at this level."

Preseason is right around the corner, so the time is getting closer to see what the Chicago Fire have in store for the 2010 MLS season. This year, the Fire brought in El Salvador national team midfielder Julio Martinez and Poland native and left defensive back Krzysztof Krol.

The Fire will officially announce the addition of Krol on Wednesday.

Chicago lost quite a bit of firepower from last season's team, but Martinez and Krol appear to be a good starting point to fill some necessary gaps. Fire technical director Frank Klopas is high on Martinez's stability in the midfield.

"He's a pure right-sided, two-way player," Klopas said. "He works very hard to get forward and also is strong on the defensive side of the ball. He's good in the air, he has some height and shooting ability, and he's a good crosser of the ball."

The familiarity between Martinez and former El Salvador and current Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos is a benefit, too.

"It's always good to have familiarity with the players," Klopas said. "The one key with Martinez is his attitude and personality. He's a professional guy on and off the field. He'll fit in very well with our team and the league."

Because the Fire have not spoken publicly about Krol's body of work, his defensive skill set is a bit unknown. With Gonzalo Segares signing with Apollon FC recently, it only furthered the Fire's need to bring in a defender.

The Fire's defensive depth last season managed to battle through the loss of Bakary Soumare and the injuries of center back Wilman Conde and left back Segares. At the same time -- and this is not a slight to the likes of Mike Banner filling in -- the Fire clearly missed having their go-to starters defending and creating from the back during the second half of last season.

Martinez and Krol will be expected to attack and defend where they are most comfortable and bring a sense of balance on both sides of the ball.

"I think we're a balanced team," Klopas said. "When teams scout you, they try to see certain tendencies in how you attack. So it's important to have balance on the field, and in certain positions you need to have depth there."

Despite CBA issue, preseason moves forward: The collective bargaining agreement between MLS and the MLS Players' Union expires on Sunday. While negotiations are taking place, every sign within the Fire organization is leaning toward their preseason moving forward without a hitch starting on Feb. 1.

"The players are coming on the morning of the first," Klopas said. "Nothing has changed, and I haven't heard anything to be thinking in a different way."

The Fire are expected to announce their preseason schedule later this week.

It is far too early to figure out what capacity 2010 first-round pick and Wake Forest midfielder Corben Bone will have for the Chicago Fire. The 13th overall selection of the MLS SuperDraft has not been a part of a preseason training session, and Fire management certainly will look at other options to fill the losses of Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe in the midfield.

One thing the Fire did show they are committed to with their first-round selection is committing to a player who fits into the same vision of Fire technical director Frank Klopas' attack-minded focus.

"They obviously have an attacking mind for soccer, and I consider myself that type of player," Bone said. "I can't thank the Fire enough for selecting me and believing in me."

The Fire are getting a collegiate player who was the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year in 2007, led the nation in assists in 2008 and was named National Player of the Year by Top Drawer Soccer and was a Hermann Trophy finalist in 2009.

Bone displayed the vision and ability to create for both himself and his Demon Deacon teammates, leading to 38 assists in three seasons.

"I don't think you can all of a sudden have that quality," Bone said of his creating ability. "Through the youth systems, playing at Wake, the big thing is I learned from the game. The game's a good teacher, and over the years you can pick up on things that others might not. A lot comes from playing in different atmospheres and different systems, knowing where players are going to be, knowing the other team and knowing where your own teammates are.

Bone worked his way through the U.S.'s national teams pretty quickly, breaking into the U-20 National Team while he was just in high school.

"I was so young, and that could be one of the reasons why I'm the player I am today, by playing with the older guys and having different experiences outside of the country," Bone said.

Bone already had been playing with the younger-level national teams, including the U-18s under coach Bob Jenkins. Bone did well in several events and got called up by U-20 coach Thomas Rongen. That placed Bone on a roster that included the likes of Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore and Robbie Rogers. While he admits the start was a bit intimidating, he had to shake off that sentiment right away.

"I went over to South Korea with the U-20s and we were playing in a big tournament in a World Cup stadium -- massive amount of people there," Bone recalls. "I hadn't played much, but I got in for the last 15 minutes. The game felt like it was going 1,000 mph. It was one of those things to learn from that experience and get into those situations."

Modeling his play after Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta: "I've looked up to him a lot and I watch him closely for Barcelona. I like the style of his play and I try to model myself after that. He's crafty, he's good with the ball and he makes things happen. He's a two-way player in the center midfield. So he's sort of the main guy I watch and I try to instill some of those traits in myself."

On his nicknames: "You meet new people and you always hear a new one. One of the main ones is C-Bone. It's easy to say and I like it. It's funny hearing all of the nicknames people come up with."

The Chicago Fire chose Wake Forest midfielder Corben Bone as the 13th overall pick in Thursday's 2010 MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia.

Bone, a Plano, Texas native, was the third of four Wake Forest players selected in the first round of the SuperDraft. In three seasons with Wake, he tallied 38 assists and 15 goals in 69 games. He is a 2009 Hermann Trophy finalist, two-time NSCAA All-America First Team, Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-ACC and 2009 ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

"I am so grateful to be joining a great club like the Chicago Fire," Bone said in a release. "I look forward to joining the team right away and start contributing in any way I can in 2010."

Locally in the MLS SuperDraft, Naperville native and UCLA midfielder Michael Stephens was selected at the end of the first round by the Los Angeles Galaxy with the 16th pick. Real Salt Lake originally held the pick, but L.A. made a trade for a later draft position and the acquisition of Clint Mathis.

Making a mockery: The Fire's top two choices Thursday were a far cry from what many mock draft gurus were thinking. Bone was widely considered a top-5 pick, while the Fire's No. 26 selection, Connecticut defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe, was thought to be a first-rounder. Whether or not you want to judge the Fire's draft performance based on these lists, Bone and Watson-Siriboe universally looked like they were toward the top of their respective positions -- Bone in particular as a promising attacking midfielder.

Goalkeepers off the map: The Fire and expansion Philadelphia Union were the only two teams to make a goalkeeper selection, and they happened to be teammates on the U.S.'s U-20 National Team. With the 51st overall pick, Chicago took Central Florida's Sean Johnson, while the Union grabbed UCLA's Brian Perk at No. 49.

Rest of the Men in Red: The Fire selected Maryland midfielder Drew Yates at No. 29 and Elon University defender Steven Kinney at No. 45. Kinney played mostly center back but got some reps as an outside back during the MLS Combine. Yates earned a national championship in 2008 as a key player off the Maryland bench before finally getting a regular starting role during his 2009 senior season.

The Chicago Fire still have an assortment of holes to fill in their midfield and defense following the 2009 MLS season and the loss of some key personnel.

Thursday's 2010 MLS SuperDraft (1 p.m., ESPN2 and MLSnet.com) in Philadelphia marks this year's starting point in shaping some of the makeup of the 2010 Fire squad.

"There are certain areas that need to be addressed with our team," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. "A versatile player who can play multiple positions -- that would add more value to who we look at. The draft is one way of addressing these specific areas."

Here are a few guys to keep an eye on during the early portion of the SuperDraft:

The heavy chatter pick: Whether it's ESPNsoccernet contributor Ives Galarcep, Goal.com or OleOle, everyone seems to like Connecticut defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe going to the Fire. Wake Forest's Ike Opara and Watson-Siriboe are almost unanimously tabbed the one-two defensive center back punch in this year's draft class. The Fire can certainly explore some ways to improve on the defensive front, and they have chosen some good defenders historically in the draft. It would not be out of the question to see the team go this route.

The necessity pick: It is clear that the Fire need to go outside the draft to fill some voids in the midfield. But there is a bevy of midfield talent within this draft board to complement any other signings, so I would like to see the Fire take advantage of this position. Wake Forest's Austin da Luz would be a tremendously strong choice if he's on the board when the 13th pick rolls around. He was the ACC's top assists man last year with 15, and he easily holds Wake's program record with 39 for his career. Left flank play makes for another obvious selling point. He also scored six goals this past season as he turned into a late bloomer for a starting spot.

The hometown pick: UCLA midfielder Michael Stephens is a Naperville native and was the 2008 Pac-10 Player of the Year following his junior campaign. Stephens has been tabbed an early pick in the second round on many draft boards, though several reports have praised Stephens' play during the final day of the MLS Combine that you wonder if he might find his way into the first round. If Stephens is around at the 26th pick, it would be foolish for the Fire not to grab their local guy. But the likelihood of him staying on the board that long seems highly unlikely.

Join Fire at Rockit: The Fire are hosting a 2010 Jersey Launch and SuperDraft Watch Party from noon to 2 p.m. at Rockit Bar and Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St., in Chicago. Fire forward Brian McBride and midfielder Logan Pause will be there, unveiling the new 2010 jerseys at noon.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire more or less created an "attractive soccer" bumper sticker this offseason. The term was heavily thrown around during Monday's introduction of Carlos de los Cobos as the team's new head coach.

De los Cobos' background with the El Salvador National Team and his successful coaching and playing days south of the border bring an optimistic vibe to the Fire. There is no question about that.

But in Monday's vague discussion of De los Cobos' coaching style, it is difficult to wonder if style would have been the difference maker in whether or not the 2009 Fire would have reached the MLS Cup.

"I know that the most important thing is to win, but there are different ways of winning," De los Cobos said. "My goal is to play an attractive style of soccer, a style of soccer that gives enjoyment and satisfaction to the fans in the stadium; a style in which there is a lot of ball movement and control of the ball."

Let's decipher that last part -- control. Possession is something that any team wants to improve upon. But was that realistically the big issue with the 2009 version of the Fire? Last year's setbacks revolved more around lack of finishing, whether there were some missed offensive chances around the box or missed chances in two different shootouts -- the SuperLiga championship and the Eastern Conference finale.

"I think over the past two years that we've played possession soccer quite well," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "When we got [Brian] McBride, that gave us an aerial bonus. But we've been about possession soccer. No matter what style, we've played some effective soccer."

De los Cobos did say that he saw some Fire tapes and got a sense of how the Denis Hamlett-led squad played.

"It was a team that played a very direct game, a very frontal game -- very organized from the back," De los Cobos said. "The defense was very strong."

Attractive is a good buzz word. But I'm more interested in attacking. I'm more interested in finishing chances and defending the home field. I'm interested in some additional personnel to anchor the midfield. And above all, I'm more interested in wins.

Fire technical director Frank Klopas and team management think they have found the coach that can bring many of these elements together.

"We have a coach that can give the team tactical organization on the field," Klopas said. "We look at how the team's done and the way they've played. A lot of ideas they have on the field come from the coach, the way they move on the field and the way they want to attack. So definitely some things will change."

Perhaps better fluidity in Chicago's play would have lessened the blow from several would-be wins turning into draws and some potential ties turning into losses. At the end of the day, a strong record and a stellar postseason run matter most.

How you get there is a secondary, but a mix of success and fluid play would be ideal, right?

"I just wish the season was here so we could start playing and start training," Busch said. "You miss it after a while. I'm jumping at the bit and excited about our new coach. There are a lot of possibilities in front of us."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- When Javier Leon, the managing director of Andell Sports Group, first met Carlos de los Cobos, he had flashbacks to the Chicago Fire's first man at the helm, current U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley.

It was the humble demeanor. It was the work ethic. It was the knack for running a cohesive group. It also might extend to the fact that both Bradley and De los Cobos helped shape an unknown product. In Bradley's case it was launching the first Fire squad in 1998. In De los Cobos' case it was his ability to turn around El Salvador's national team, a squad that "no one believed in," as Leon simply put it.

The Fire are hoping the Bradley and De los Cobos similarities extend one step further -- a revival of the magical first-year run that Bradley and Co. had in capturing the organization's only MLS Cup.

These sentiments were at the forefront of the Fire's introduction of De los Cobos as the team's fifth head coach.

"One of the reasons why I took this job was the philosophy I witnessed and shared with the [front office's] leadership," De los Cobos said through a translator. "Through the process we shared a lot of things in common."

The introduction had less to do with lineup visions and formations and more to do with soccer pedigree. Fire technical director Frank Klopas latched onto the latter in looking at De los Cobos' work with the El Salvador National Team.

"I remember my younger days playing El Salvador, and back then they had some strong teams that kind of disappeared a little bit," Klopas said. "The U.S. became stronger, other teams got stronger. The most important thing that impressed me [about De los Cobos' leadership] is that there was a sense of belief in their players. They had confidence. He gave them that belief and they were a collective group."

Attaining De los Cobos seemed like a long shot to Fire management, particularly because of De los Cobos' extensive coaching background and international experience. But the 51-year-old was drawn to the culturally diverse Chicago landscape, the similar soccer passion within the front office and the growth of MLS.

"Over the last couple of years I've seen this league develop," De los Cobos said. "That's one of the reasons why I thought this would be a good fit for me. Every year I see the level of competition increase. It presents a great opportunity for someone like me and my decisions as a coach."

De los Cobos is under a two-year contract. The team hopes this will be a long-term relationship. But in the Fire's history, only two head coaches have lasted for more than two years -- Bradley (1998-2002) and Dave Sarachan (2003-2007).

Following the 2009 season, the Fire decided not to renew head coach Denis Hamlett's contract. The Fire fell one victory shy of reaching the MLS Cup, so the organization hopes De los Cobos will be part of the solution in helping Chicago reach the final once again in its 13th season of play.

"This is a results-driven business. Results dictate a lot," De los Cobos said. "There are a lot of expectations to win."