ESPN

The Chicago Fire chose forward Kheli Dube with their selection in the second stage of the MLS Re-Entry Draft on Monday.

The 28-year-old Dube tallied 14 goals and eight assists in 72 games with the New England Revolution, and the Fire now begin negotiations with Dube on a contract.

Dube only saw the pitch five times and logged 114 minutes in 2011. The Bulawayo, Zimbabwe native was a regular starter for the Revs in 2009, starting in 20 of 26 games played and tallying a personal-best eight goals that season.

Only a handful of teams elected to participate in the re-entry draft, but quite a few players with Fire ties were involved in the process.

Former Fire midfielder and University of Illinois-Chicago alum Baggio Husidic was picked by the Colorado Rapids after Chicago made its selection for Dube and the next four teams decided to pass on their selection. Husidic had two assists and zero goals this past season, following up a 2010 campaign that included five goals and three assists.

Former Fire forward Nate Jaqua was the second pick of this second leg as the Revolution becomes the fifth MLS franchise that Jaqua has been a part of. The Fire's 2003 draft pick most recently played for Seattle Sounders FC.

The Fire's backup goalkeeper for 2011, Jon Conway, was chosen by the Los Angeles Galaxy. And former Fire defender Dasan Robinson, who was an available option for the re-entry draft, was brought back to L.A. after the team declined his option following the 2011 season.

Johnson joins U.S. U-23 squad: Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson begins training with the U.S. U-23 National Team this Thursday through Dec. 23. Johnson had been training with U.S. MNT goalkeeper Tim Howard and Everton FC. U-23 head coach Caleb Porter's 28-player group will train at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Nazarit, Ferrari released: Last Wednesday the Fire released forwards Cristian Nazarit and Gabriel Ferrari. Ferrari only played for 17 minutes in three games this past season. Nazarit had two goals in 12 games and 624 minutes in 2011. Nazarit's biggest highlight was the Fire's stoppage-time goal during a 1-0 road victory over the Columbus Crew on June 12, ending the team's dismal 0-4-7 stretch en route to interim head coach Frank Klopas' first win.

Between the play-in matches and an opening-round game, the Chicago Fire have posted more victories in the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (three) than they have during the MLS regular season (two).

Fire personnel have stated on more than a few occasions that they are taking this year's Open Cup seriously, and they hope to advance past the quarterfinals when they host their fellow MLS side New York Red Bulls on Tuesday at Toyota Park.

The Red Bulls and Fire are both coming off Saturday losses in MLS play. New York fell to D.C. United, 1-0, while Chicago suffered a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Even though the Fire are coming off a loss to the Galaxy, the team was satisfied with the bulk of its play. Giving up two goals on set pieces ultimately marked the difference.

"I thought we kept to our game plan, but the game slipped away because of two set plays," Fire forward Cristian Nazarit said after the match. "But that is how soccer is. We have to continue working, because on Tuesday we have an important match."

The Fire edged the USL Pro's Rochester Rhinos, 1-0, in their previous Open Cup match on June 28 in Rochester, N.Y. In that match, the Fire went with a completely different defensive line than Chicago's previous MLS match against New York two days prior.

It would make sense for central defender Josip Mikulic to get some starting minutes Tuesday. Because of the red card Mikulic picked up while he was on the bench against L.A., that makes him unavailable for Chicago's match against the Portland Timbers on Saturday. It might be in the Fire's best interest to utilize his services Tuesday in place of veteran Cory Gibbs.

Fire left back Gonzalo Segares had to miss the Rochester match because of a red card he picked up during Chicago's play-in match against the San Jose Earthquakes on May 28. Segares should be an available option Tuesday.

The Red Bulls appear as though they will rest a large portion of their starting crew. That certainly was the vibe following last weekend's game against D.C.

"We have a week to get rested and get healthy again, and come out next weekend and hopefully get some more points," New York goalkeeper Greg Sutton told NewYorkRedBulls.com, without mention of the Open Cup.

Several Red Bulls players who did not travel with the team include team scoring leader Thierry Henry, 18-year-old forward Juan Agudelo, midfielder Joel Lindpere and defender Tim Ream.

The four-time Open Cup champion Fire hope to have a better showing than their last Open Cup match at Toyota Park. Last year, Chicago was shut out in penalty kicks, 3-0, against the Charleston Battery in its third-round match on June 29, 2010.

Since taking over the Chicago Fire's coaching duties, interim head coach Frank Klopas has preached about strengthening the defense on set pieces.

The Fire had not allowed a set-piece goal during Klopas' first seven games at the helm. But David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy put an end to that trend, as the Galaxy scored twice on set pieces en route to a 2-1 victory over Chicago on Saturday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Beckham scored directly off of a corner kick for the game-winner, and he provided a corner kick assist on a Landon Donovan header. Cristian Nazarit scored the Fire's lone goal in between Beckham's corners, with all three goals coming in an eight-minute span.

"We got too comfortable against the wrong team," Fire midfielder Patrick Nyarko said. "We lost concentration on a couple of goals, and that's unacceptable. A lapse of concentration against a team like this, they'll take advantage of it."

The Fire (2-5-12) suffered their first loss under Klopas (1-1-6). It also marks Chicago's first defeat since a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union on May 21. The Western Conference-leading Galaxy (10-2-9) extended its unbeaten run to 12 games.

On Saturday, the Galaxy offense came to life in the second half, highlighted by Beckham's 66th-minute corner kick goal. Beckham took a low, driving corner from the left side and found the net. The ball eluded several players, including Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and Nyarko who was trying to cover the back right post.

"It went through Jalil [Anibaba], Sean, and I couldn't see the ball until it was in the net," Nyarko said. "It was bad defending on our part."

In the 58th, Beckham sent the corner kick in from the right side and found Donovan on the back left post for a 1-0 lead. Donovan rose above Fire defender Gonzalo Segares and headed the ball into the right side of the net.

The Fire quickly recovered from Donovan's goal. In the 62nd minute, Nyarko sent a right-footed cross from the left side of the pitch and connected with Nazarit. Nazarit drove his header underneath Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders and into the net to tie the score at 1-1.

The match ended on an ugly note when Nyarko was taken out by the Galaxy's Chris Birchall in second-half stoppage time. Birchall was shown a yellow card, and the Fire took exception to a harsh challenge that could have been ruled a red. Fire forward Diego Chaves immediately rushed in, and multiple players left their respective benches. Fire defender Josip Mikulic, who was a reserve, was shown a red card.

Analysis: The end result certainly did not paint the picture of how the match went in the early going.

The Fire's game plan was effective throughout the first half and the early stages of the second half. Donovan's 58th-minute goal was the first attempt the Galaxy had on net, so the Fire had a positive impact during this difficult road match. Once Chicago allowed some Galaxy set pieces on a regular basis, that played into the host team's hands.

Chicago had some good chances to put some momentum in its corner. Fire defender Anibaba had a scoring chance in the 45th minute. Anibaba appeared to be squared up to put his header on frame, but he pushed it wide right of the net. Early in the first half, Nyarko worked his way into the box from the left side, but the Galaxy's Gregg Berhalter slid in to deflect Nyarko's 14th-minute chance away from the goal.

Fire midfielder Marco Pappa could have had a stronger performance. He missed a glaring chance to level the match in the 72nd minute. Nyarko made a quick move to get around the Galaxy's Bryan Jordan on the left side. He provided a perfect setup for Pappa, but he sent his shot over the crossbar.

The Fire have had plenty of draws -- as well as a win -- that were poorer performances than Saturday's loss. But there is no question that Klopas will reiterate his set piece emphasis moving past this game.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire take a short detour from their MLS slate when they take on the USL Pro's Rochester Rhinos on Tuesday in third-round action of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.

The Fire are providing a live stream of the match on their official site, Chicago-Fire.com, with the opening kick at 6:35 p.m. CT.

The four-time Open Cup champion Fire managed to qualify for the tournament for a 14th straight time, defeating MLS sides Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes in a pair of play-in matches.

This third-round match marks another short turnaround for the Fire, who played to a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, preceded by a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake last Wednesday.

"The Open Cup is a tournament that we want to win," Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas said. "We talked about the goals we set in the beginning [of the season], but there are a lot of games and a lot of traveling. We have a very good group of players, and we're going to assess them all."

With this being a non-league match, the Fire certainly will take some caution. Fire defensive midfielder and captain Logan Pause (concussion) continues to stay on the shelf, though he is training at some capacity.

"We're assessing him every day," Klopas said of Pause. "You have to wait with stuff like that to see how he reacts the next day. I think if everything goes according to plan, my hope is he'll probably be available in L.A. [against Chivas USA on Saturday]. We'll see."

Fire forward Cristian Nazarit will be available for the first time since he was hit with a two-game suspension by the MLS Disciplinary Committee, forcing him to miss Chicago's matches against Real Salt Lake and New York. Midfielder Daniel Paladini will continue playing above the Fire's defensive line, but he will have to serve a one-game suspension on Saturday against Chivas USA for yellow card accumulation.

The Fire's front line had a different look this past match, with Dominic Oduro shifted up from the midfield alongside Orr Barouch. Gabriel Ferrari is starting to accumulate some second-half minutes. Diego Chaves, who had a solid start to the season, has taken a bit of a breather, and Klopas thinks that the wear and tear of jumping into the season has affected Chaves' play.

"The one thing we can't underestimate is that he missed a lot of the preseason," Klopas said of Chaves. "He came in and right away we went into games. I think from an aerobics standpoint he's not there. You can see that late in the games he gets tired. He's a quality player, and we just have to manage that."

The Fire face a Rochester side that has had its success in the Open Cup. Since the inception of Major League Soccer, Rochester remains the only team outside of MLS to win the Open Cup. The Rhinos (previously of the A-League) defeated Colorado, 2-0, to earn the crown in 1999.

That was the year that Rochester upset the Fire with a 1-0 victory in the third round, winning four of its five matches against MLS opponents. In that third-round match, Yari Allnutt -- who had brief stints with the Kansas City Wizards and New England Revolution -- tallied the game's lone goal in the 51st minute for the Raging Rhinos.

Rochester currently is atop of the USL Pro's National Division with a 7-4-3 record. The Rhinos have only allowed 11 goals in 14 games, sporting the top defense in its division. Aurora, Ill., native and defender Quavas Kirk has played in 10 matches, posting two assists in 591 minutes of action for Rochester.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's short homestand has featured the league's top defense in Real Salt Lake. Now the Fire take on MLS's top offense as the goal-heavy New York Red Bulls and Thierry Henry head to Toyota Park this Sunday (1 p.m. ESPN).

Henry is coming off a suspension after receiving a red card against the Portland Timbers. He has been the driving force of the Red Bulls' offense with eight goals. New York is averaging a league-best 1.6 goals per game (26 goals in 16 matches).

"For sure, we're looking forward to it," Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas said of the challenge. "It's just another opportunity for us to gain some momentum. The guys will be ready."

The Fire defense has held its ground under Klopas, allowing only one goal over his five games at the helm for a 1-0-4 record.

Chicago has had its success against the Red Bulls at Toyota Park, posting a 5-0-2 record.

Offensively, the Fire have struggled to get things together, netting only two goals in their past five matches. But New York has allowed its share of goals this season (20), and the Red Bulls are coming off a 4-2 loss to Seattle Sounders FC on Thursday -- a defeat that featured three Sounders goals generated off of corner kicks.

The look of the Fire's starting midfield appears to be somewhat unknown entering Sunday's match. Klopas has gone with Patrick Nyarko and Dominic Oduro on the left and right flanks, respectively, as Marco Pappa played for Guatemala's national team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Pappa was eased back into the Fire lineup on Wednesday with a second-half appearance against Salt Lake.

How Klopas attempts to incorporate all three -- whether at the same time, or utilizing someone off the bench -- remains to be seen. Perhaps there is the outside chance of Pappa moving to center midfield, but Klopas appears as though he wants to keep him on the outside.

"Marco is good when he's out wide," Klopas said. "A lot of times, mostly on the right side, he has the ability to come inside and put a very good shot on goal. He also can cut to the outside and also use the right foot. Every game is different. We have options. Depending on how the game goes, he is creative and can see things with the final passes. He always puts himself in positions to score."

Fire defensive midfielder Logan Pause will miss another match (concussion). He was listed as out on Friday night's updated MLS Injury Report. That means Daniel Paladini will likely get another start.

Fire forward Cristian Nazarit will serve the second match of his two-game suspension. Nazarit was penalized by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for a foul that he committed against the New England Revolution. Fire rookie Orr Barouch took Nazarit's place in the starting lineup against RSL and logged about 70 minutes of work.

The Red Bulls still are shorthanded with Rafael Marquez (Mexico), Juan Agudelo (U.S.) and Tim Ream (U.S.) competing in Saturday's Gold Cup final. But with Henry's return, combined Dwayne De Rosario and Dane Richards, the Red Bulls have their share of offensive weapons.

"They have quality players, and we just have to be very organized right from the start," Klopas said. "If we're good with the ball and we make the right decisions, we will have opportunities with our pace. We just can't force the ball."

Chicago Fire forward Cristian Nazarit will be suspended for two matches, according to a source.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee is expected to suspend the Colombian forward for Chicago's matches against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday and the New York Red Bulls on Sunday.

Nazarit was issued a yellow card in the 59th minute during the Fire's 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution. Nazarit hit a Revs player with his arm, then when he was shown a yellow, reacted with shock toward the booking.

On Tuesday, the committee officially suspended Salt Lake's Jean Alexandre for one match for a reckless tackle during RSL's 1-1 draw against D.C. United on Saturday.

The Fire (2-4-9) and Salt Lake (6-3-4) kick off at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Toyota Park.

The Chicago Fire begin one of their toughest two-game stretches of the season on Wednesday when they host Real Salt Lake at Toyota Park. The Fire then have a short rest before hosting the Eastern Conference-leading New York Red Bulls on Sunday.

"We're at home and we're going to try to impose our will," Fire captain Logan Pause said. "It's going to be a great challenge."

Midfielder Marco Pappa returns to the Fire (2-4-9) after playing for Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. How much of an impact he will have right away remains to be seen.

While Pappa was away, Patrick Nyarko and Dominic Oduro anchored the flanks and were responsible for Chicago's lone goal against New England.

"Patrick and Dom have been playing well in their roles," Pause said. "Marco is a very important player, and we'll see how Frank will incorporate him into [Wednesday's game]. He's had to play a lot of games. We want him back and want his services back. He's a great player and a great guy in the locker room."

Pause is not certain to go for the midweek match. He is listed as questionable on this week's injury report with both a hamstring strain and a concussion.

Making noteworthy, and at times necessary, lineup adjustments have been the nature of the business for Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas. In his four-game tenure after replacing Carlos de los Cobos, Klopas' squad has not posted a loss, and he has made some needed personnel adjustments along the way.

Klopas made four starting lineup changes heading into the Fire's road win against the Columbus Crew. Klopas also showed that he is quick to go with his youth up front, inserting forwards Orr Barouch and Gabriel Ferrari during the second half of last week's 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution.

On Tuesday, the MLS Disciplinary Committee handed a one-game suspension to forward Jean Alexandre of Salt Lake (6-3-4). Alexandre's reckless tackle in the 49th minute (he did not receive a booking) of RSL's June 18 match against D.C. United led to the committee suspending him for Wednesday's match.

RSL is in the midst of a three-game winless stretch and a 1-2-3 record over its past six matches. Salt Lake has had its ups and downs ever since the CONCACAF Champions League run to the finals, seeing its unbeaten home run come to a close three days later against the Portland Timbers. RSL also blew an early lead against Columbus on June 8, posting a 2-1 loss.

Salt Lake touts MLS's top defense, allowing a league-low eight goals so far this year. Four of those goals have come during RSL's current three-game winless stretch.

For 280 minutes, the Chicago Fire could not put anything in the net. But on Sunday, Fire forward Cristian Nazarit broke that scoring drought with a game-winning tally in second-half stoppage time en route to a 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

The win was Chicago's first since its March 26 home-opening victory over Sporting Kansas City, and it snapped a team-worst 11-game winless streak.

"It's always great to get a win, especially going this long without one," Fire midfielder Patrick Nyarko said. "It's a happy locker room, and rightly so. Things haven't gone our way, but we have kept at it and kept fighting."

Nazarit's first goal was a long-awaited moment for the Fire (2-4-8). Second-half sub Orr Barouch had the initial attack on the sequence, fighting his way in between the Crew's Julius James and Josh Gardner, then forcing Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer into making a save to his right. Nazarit was there for the rebound and had an open net in front of him to give Chicago the lead.

"He created a lot out of nothing," Nyarko said of Barouch's effort on the game-winning sequence. "He beat the defender and did an excellent job. He's not a one-dimensional player, and he can beat you off the dribble."

Before that goal, the pattern of missed chances was the usual story line. Gaston Puerari had two close-range scoring chances in the 62nd and 66th minutes, with Nyarko setting him up on both occasions. But one shot went over the crossbar and the other was blocked by James.

Barouch had a couple of scoring chances when his attempt was blocked by James in the 72nd minute, then his 79th-minute strike from just outside the box hit the frame of the goal.

Nyarko was the most consistent attacking presence among the Fire players, especially in the second half.

"They gave me the green light to go ahead and be myself," Nyarko said. "In the first half, I was a little indecisive. When we went into halftime, they told me to do what I do best -- be aggressive and go into an attack mode."

Chicago moved ahead of the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference standings, and both sides will meet next Saturday at Gillette Stadium. The match wraps up the Fire's three-game road trip, which was preceded by scoreless draws against Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City.

Under interim head coach Frank Klopas, who replaced Carlos de los Cobos on May 30, the Fire have yet to concede a goal. Columbus did not put a single shot on goal against Chicago as Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and his defense turned in another clean sheet.

Klopas made multiple changes to his lineup that he utilized against Kansas City on Thursday. Rookie defender Jalil Anibaba returned to right back in place of Bratislav Ristic. Baggio Husidic and Nyarko started ahead of Daniel Paladini and Corben Bone in the midfield. And Diego Chaves started ahead of Nazarit. Nazarit entered Sunday's match in the 79th minute for Chaves and scored the game-winner less than 12 minutes later.

Analysis: The Fire were the more dominant side in terms of both possession and scoring chances, so it was only fitting that Chicago ultimately gained the advantage on the scoreboard.

Nyarko got into a groove that was reminiscent of his assist-heavy 2010 campaign. Nyarko was the prime setup man for the bulk of Puerari's and Barouch's scoring opportunities. If the Fire improved their finishing touch, he would have had multiple assists on Sunday.

This was a big victory for Chicago on so many levels. It was the boost that the Fire needed to start making a climb back up the standings. The Fire are fortunate to be playing in the Eastern Conference, where even through this winless stretch, Chicago still has some time to move into a playoff position.

It was a much-needed win for Klopas, who has the task of showcasing a team that was mostly assembled under his watch. And it was a necessary win to keep some general interest within this club. Let's face it -- under an 11-game winless streak, the fans were understandably growing restless.

Two of the Fire's next three matches are against East foes: New England on Saturday and the New York Red Bulls on June 26. Chicago has been trying to get over the hump for some time now to make a move in the East standings. Perhaps the Fire's first road victory will serve as that long-awaited moment to turn the tide.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's lone victory of 2011 was during their home opener on March 26 against Sporting Kansas City.

K.C. has spent its first 10 matches on the road, but Sporting finally get to play on the home front when they open Livestrong Sporting Park on Thursday against the Fire (9 p.m. kick-off, ESPN2). The new 18,500-capacity facility and the long-awaited home opener for K.C. certainly will create a festive atmosphere.

"It's a beautiful stadium and it's exciting, with a lot of energy," Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas said Wednesday following training. "From a mental standpoint, we've got to be ready from the start."

"If we step out there and play our game and deal with the pressures in the first 15 minutes, I think we can calm the crowd down and play soccer," Fire midfielder Corben Bone said. "It's going to be a great venue and I can't wait. It's going to be exciting. But I think we can use that to our advantage and get up for it ourselves, come out with a lot of energy and hopefully play good enough soccer where the fans are not going to matter really."

Chicago (1-4-7) is four points ahead of last-place Sporting (1-6-3) in the Eastern Conference standings. The Fire start a three-game road trip that also includes the Columbus Crew on Sunday and the New England Revolution on June 18.

The Fire's ongoing winless streak has reached 10 games (0-4-6), though Chicago is coming off a strong defensive effort during a scoreless draw against Seattle Sounders FC. Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson posted his first shutout of the season with three saves as he has reacquired the starting slot.

Defensive lapses had been a regular occurrence for much of the season, including Chicago's lone win over K.C. and especially during another stadium-opening match -- a 4-2 loss at the Portland Timbers' Jeld-Wen Field. Following that April 14 match, Johnson lost the No. 1 goalkeeper status to Jon Conway. But Johnson has reacquired the starting job for the past two matches, posting draws against the San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle.

"I can only get better and look back at that stuff and try and improve," Johnson said. "I think I'm definitely getting into a rhythm. It's important to try and find a little consistency and stay at that level. That's a challenge for myself and the team, as well, to build on the last game and make it better going forward."

The Fire have not had a moment this season where the defensive and offensive sides of the ball are clicking simultaneously. Chicago is averaging only one goal per game over the 10-game winless streak (the 4-2 loss to Portland included own-goals from each team). Forward Diego Chaves' early-season scoring surge has since been held in check, and Cristian Nazarit is just working his way into the mix.

"He's still adjusting to the league -- the physicality of the players is stronger and the pace of the game is faster," Klopas said of Nazarit. "But his game fitness has been better, and every game he's going to get better."

The Fire created a few good looks last week during the first half against Seattle, but Chicago relied on some optimistic long balls and did not pose much of a threat in the second half.

Now that Patrick Nyarko is seeing some time again on the pitch following his concussion injury, and fellow Ghanaian Dominic Oduro has provided a regular dose of energy, that speedy flank combination could generate some much-needed offense as the Fire continue to play without Guatemalan midfielder Marco Pappa (CONCACAF Gold Cup duty).

"We need to concentrate on our passes, switch the ball and not get caught on the counter," Bone said. "If we can use Dominic's speed late in the game whenever their defense is tired, we can catch them on the counter, as well."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Nearly two months have passed since the Chicago Fire's last victory, and it is almost a moot point that Chicago has not lost, either, in its past four matches.

Chicago travels to PPL Park in Chester, Pa., to take on the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, and the Fire are hoping to get more than a point against the second-place team in the Eastern Conference.

"We are close to winning," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "I believe in this. We are close to winning."

Close is an accurate description for a team that is tied for the league lead with five draws. But Chicago also is one of only three teams with just one victory on the season (Sporting Kansas City and the Vancouver Whitecaps being the other two).

The Fire (1-3-5) have yet to win on the road this season and have not won since a 3-2 home opener victory over Kansas City on March 26.

"Them playing at home, we know it's going to be a tough game," Fire defensive midfielder and team captain Logan Pause said of the Union. "In-conference, they're higher up the table than we are, so it is a challenge. The results really haven't been going our way."

The Fire likely will continue with their 4-1-4-1 formation, where Chicago has heavily possessed the ball in recent games. But against Toronto FC last week, the Fire produced a better attack in the final third when they switched to two men up top in salvaging a 2-2 road draw.

"I agree, when we played with two forwards and we put another guy in front, we had more presence in the attacking zone," De los Cobos said. "But in the first half I think we had some good moments, too. The most important thing for me is playing with order. The systems are only our guides to follow."

The Fire will not make a whole lot of tweaks to the starting lineup -- if any -- following the Toronto match. Center back Josip Mikulic continues to nurse a shoulder injury, so the center back duo of Cory Gibbs and Yamith Cuesta will stay the same. Goalkeeper Jon Conway is maintaining his starting role, even with backup Sean Johnson participating in full training again following a quad injury.

Pause is working his way back to full health from a hamstring injury, but De los Cobos said Thursday that he will continue with the same central midfield of Daniel Paladini and Corben Bone, who is coming off his first complete match of the season against Toronto.

"We can see that he has great qualities," De los Cobos said of Bone. "He's very good with the ball -- a good distributor with the ball."

Former Fire player and Union head coach Peter Nowak has seen his squad struggle in recent weeks, in the midst of a 0-2-1 stretch. But Philadelphia (4-3-2) has thrived at home with a 3-0-2 mark. The Union has scored a league-low six goals, but it also has allowed only six goals, which ties for second-lowest in MLS.

"With a guy like Peter, they're going to be a well organized team, and a team that fights," Pause said. "Outside of the last couple of games, they haven't allowed many goals this year. They're a hard team to play against."

Only five players have scored a goal for the Union this season, with Carlos Ruiz leading the club with two. Sebastien Le Toux, who posted a stellar 14 goals and 11 assists last season, is sitting on just one goal and one assist this year.

Momentum has been hard to come by for Chicago, but the Fire have a little bit of steam following a second-half run last week against Toronto. Chicago overcame a poor hour-long stretch as late goals from Marco Pappa and Orr Barouch helped garner a draw at BMO Field.

"In the first half of the Toronto game, we struggled as a team," Pause said. "The last half of the second half, all of a sudden there's a sense of urgency, and we're like a different team. We're trying to keep that. We're trying to put a 90-minute, complete game together."

In other Fire personnel news, forward Diego Chaves was limited a bit in training this week with a foot contusion, but he is expected to be ready. De los Cobos also said this week that forward Cristian Nazarit should be available for selection.

The Chicago Fire brought in 20-year-old Colombian Cristian Nazarit on Wednesday -- a 6-foot-1 target forward who recently was playing for Colombian Primera A side Independiente Santa Fe.

In the Fire's grand plan, the club clearly hopes that Nazarit or some other striker will provide scoring power to complement Diego Chaves, who leads Chicago with four goals. Chaves has been a workhorse for the Fire, and for much of the season he has been Chicago's only go-to guy on the scoring front.

Chaves also has noticeably lost some steam in the closing minutes of Chicago's recent games, so adding an offensive weapon -- provided the Nazarit plan comes to fruition -- is a welcome addition for the Fire.

But Nazarit's signing also does not address the Fire's most immediate needs, the biggest of which is an established central midfielder. Even through seven games, the Fire have yet to finalize the look of their middle formation.

The Fire's 10 goals in seven games is pretty much on par with the rest of the league's offenses. Heading into this week, before Wednesday's slate of games, there were four other MLS clubs with that exact goals-to-games ratio, including the Eastern Conference-leading New York Red Bulls.

The major difference between New York and Chicago is that the Red Bulls (4-1-2) have allowed only two goals this season, while the Fire (1-3-3) have given up a whopping 13.

Plus, what was a modestly short injury list has grown with every week.

Fire midfielders Michael Videira (concussion) and Logan Pause (hamstring) missed last week's game, and Videira currently is listed as out for this Saturday's match against Vancouver. Pause is questionable, and midfielder Marko Maric was placed on the disabled list Wednesday (left deltoid sprain). Chicago defenders Cory Gibbs (questionable, hamstring) and Josip Mikulic (questionable, shoulder) are up in the air for their return, and Steven Kinney (Achilles) has been out all season.

Eight Fire players are listed on the MLS Injury Report this week, tying with the Colorado Rapids for the most players on this dreaded list.

The back line is without question a concern at the moment. Left back Gonzalo Segares and rookie right back Jalil Anibaba have been the only consistent staples on the back line. Center back Yamith Cuesta has turned into a strong addition as he replaces Gibbs. But fellow center back Dasan Robinson has had some struggles, including an own-goal against the Portland Timbers and a near own-goal against Colorado.

In the midfield, Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos went with a vastly different group against the Rapids last week that included Daniel Paladini and Corben Bone, each starting in their first game of the season. Gaston Puerari dropped back from his typical forward slot and into the midfield. Dominic Oduro was on the right side of the midfield. Marco Pappa was the only returning midfielder on the left flank, while last year's assists leader, Patrick Nyarko, was questionably left on the bench until the closing minutes.

With the addition of another striker, the X-factor in Wednesday's signing has to be Puerari. Few Fire players cover as much ground and consistency employ the high-level work rate that Puerari does. Anyone who has watched the team should feel that Puerari has some multi-goal performances in his arsenal. But to date, Puerari only has one goal to his name.

So De los Cobos dropped him into the midfield in a 4-1-4-1 formation last week. The formation switch stemmed from the midweek injury to Pause, as the club originally was going to go with a customary 4-4-2.

The Fire have yet to piece together the type of possession-driven, attack-minded performance it is hoping for from its central midfield. But maybe Puerari can turn into a key cog in that position.

The center midfield and the defensive inconsistencies continue to be the question marks surrounding this Fire team, and neither area was directly addressed with Nazarit's signing.

Most games are won in the midfield, and with more than 20 percent of the season gone and a second-to-last stance in the East standings, the Fire have yet to roll out a continuous group in the middle of the pitch.