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The Chicago Fire made it official Thursday that Mexican forward Nery Castillo is joining Greek club Aris. The loan is for five months -- not six, as was previously mentioned in various reports.

"This is a great opportunity for Nery to get consistent playing time on the field, and we look forward to monitoring his progress in the coming months," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said in a statement.

The Fire acquired Castillo on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk on July 17, 2010, and in eight games (six starts), he played in 487 minutes but did not contribute a goal or assist.

The addition of Castillo as a designated player was part of a midseason revamping of the Fire's 2010 roster that included the addition of designated player Freddie Ljungberg. Ljungberg signed with Celtic in December.

Castillo made his Fire debut as a second-half sub during a scoreless draw against the New York Red Bulls on Aug. 8 at Toyota Park. But Castillo's tenure was short-lived as fitness clearly was an issue on the pitch. From late September into early October, Castillo did not see playing time, and there were several instances where he was left off the active first-team roster.

Pantazopoulos wins tryout: Greek born and Mount Prospect High School graduate Paraskevas "Pari" Pantazopoulos was the winner of the Fire's open tryout, the team announced Wednesday. There were 210 athletes competing in the tryout, and Pantazopoulos was rewarded as the top player who will join the Fire for a week of training starting on Monday, Jan. 31.

"Playing professional soccer has always been a dream of mine," Pantazopoulos said. "I have been a supporter of the Fire since I moved to the United States in 1998. I am very thankful to the club for this opportunity."

Greek club Aris has signed Mexican forward Nery Castillo on a six-month loan, according to an Associated Press report.

This move would end Castillo's brief tenure with the Chicago Fire, where he did not contribute a goal in eight games and 487 minutes during the 2010 MLS season.

The Fire have not made an official comment regarding Castillo, and a call to Fire technical director Frank Klopas was not immediately returned.

According to an ESPNChicago.com source with knowledge of the situation, if the loan process is completed, it would free up more than $300,000 for the Fire to invest in another player or two, and it would free up a foreign spot on the roster. Castillo's 2010 base salary was $1.4 million.

Castillo's move to Aris would leave the Fire without both of their designated players from last year. Freddie Ljungberg, who made $1.3 million last season splitting his time with Seattle Sounders FC and the Fire, signed with Celtic in December.

The Fire will see how things pan out for Castillo with a first division team in Greece. If Castillo has positive results over the six-month loan and his fitness improves dramatically, the source said that the Fire do have an option to bring back Castillo later in the year.

According to the AP, Aris said Wednesday it reached the loan deal with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, where the 26-year-old is still contracted.

Castillo played seven seasons at Greek club Olympiakos before moving to Shaktar, where he has spent much of his time on loan at other clubs, including Manchester City in 2008.

Aris announced the deal Wednesday, a day after respected Argentine coach Hector Cuper resigned following a string of poor league results. Aris is eighth in the league with 23 points from 18 matches, and hosts City in the Europa League on Feb. 15.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps have some interesting Fire players to choose from in this year's expansion draft, especially if they are willing to open up their checkbook.

The Chicago Fire and other league squads submitted their 11-player protected lists Monday in preparation for this Wednesday's expansion draft. And Chicago left its two designated players Freddie Ljungberg and Nery Castillo unprotected, as well as forward Collins John.

Chicago protected the following players:
Forward -- Calen Carr
Midfield -- Mike Banner, Baggio Husidic, Patrick Nyarko, Marco Pappa, Logan Pause and Bratislav Ristic
Defense -- Wilman Conde, Steven Kinney, Gonzalo Segares and Kwame Watson-Siriboe

Goalkeeper Sean Johnson and midfielders Corben Bone and Victor Pineda are automatically protected with Generation adidas or home grown status. Husidic recently graduated from Generation adidas, so the Fire protected the University of Illinois-Chicago product.

Recently retired C.J. Brown and Brian McBride were obviously left unprotected, as well as defender Krzysztof Krol who wants to play in Europe.

The Fire's decision to leave some of their priciest players available appears to be by design, with some hope that Portland and Vancouver are not interested in shelling out big bucks for key personnel.

Nevertheless, it is surprising that Ljungberg is not secured for next season. Heading into the offseason, Ljungberg's return for 2011 should top Chicago's priority list.

Of the Fire's 11 protected players, the most questionable was midfielder Mike Banner. While his willingness to play multiple positions is commendable, Banner is a specialized option that typically should be utilized off the bench.

No more than two players can be claimed from a team's unprotected roster. So who will actually be taken off the Fire's group?

Defender Dasan Robinson and midfielder John Thorrington appear to be two potential selections for Portland and Vancouver to pursue. Both players have had their share of injuries. But if -- and it's a big if -- they stay healthy for a whole season, Robinson and Thorrington are very useful options for an expansion side.

The Chicago Fire's 2010 season does not merit a report card that you would like to put on the refrigerator.



In closing out the Fire's campaign, a season that resulted in a 9-12-9 record and only 36 points (which ranked 10th out of 16 MLS teams), ESPNChicago.com dishes out its final grades on a year that had some potential, but hit a road block down the stretch.

Coaching: First-year Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos headed into the organization with the hopes of high-possession, active, offense-driven soccer. This incredibly candid coach and his higher-ups said all the right things heading into the season. But quite a bit was lost in the translation on the field. There were scoring droughts, late-game lapses, lack of possession, lack of cohesiveness and ultimately a losing record. The head coach cannot control every aspect of a match on the sidelines, but the build-up to the game and the organization of this roster were completely in De los Cobos' hands. On most occasions, his thought process was puzzling.

Personnel management and judgment were two clear flaws this season. The late preseason release of goalkeeper Jon Busch, the additions of Salvadorans Julio Martinez (eventually released) and Deris Umanzor (mediocre season in the back), the delayed realization that Nery Castillo was not up to speed, questionable substitutions, starting the same tired roster in a two-games-in-three-days stretch, starting some players out of position, dreadful SuperLiga and U.S. Open Cup showings, not testing this team's depth in non-MLS matches or meaningless regular-season games ...

Should I go on?

There is no question that injuries did hamper this team. But the best squads find a way to work through this. De los Cobos and Co. did not, and if the Fire trust him to lead the way again in 2011, he will need positive results right out of the gate -- not to mention some renewed energy. De los Cobos has a full offseason, a full preseason and a roster he should be completely familiar with before a single 2011 regular-season match.

As far as 2010 goes, we need a parent/guardian signature on your report card. GRADE: F

Goalkeeping: It took half of a season, but the Fire found their No. 1 goalkeeper. Rookie Sean Johnson was one of the high points of this season with some highlight reel saves, confidence and aggressiveness from the back. While his record did not show it, Johnson turned into a jewel that Chicago grabbed late in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.

Andrew Dykstra had the daunting task of succeeding Busch with less than a week to go heading into the Fire's season opener in New York. Dykstra had some rough patches in there and some communication issues. But toward the end of the season, when Johnson had to miss several matches because of an eye injury, Dykstra's game showed improvement, particularly against D.C. United in the home finale.

Mistakes will still occur from this young goalkeeping duo. But overall, it was not a bad showing from a tandem that did not have an MLS match under its belt heading into the year.

Considering the organization's mishandling of the Busch situation just before the opener, the Fire stumbled upon a bright future in Johnson. GRADE: B-minus

Defense: The Fire's defensive flaws were not in the amount of goals allowed, but rather the late-game lapses and set-piece defending. The most pivotal match of the season was the Fire's 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Chicago played down a man -- Gonzalo Segares red card -- and managed to gain a late 1-0 lead, only to immediately surrender it in second-half stoppage time off of a set piece. Two points were lost at home, and the Fire managed only three victories over the remaining 10 games.

MLS All-Star Wilman Conde had a disappointing season with some key mishaps in the back. C.J. Brown's play was not as crisp as his younger years, though he still played with the same tenaciousness. De los Cobos played a multitude of guys at left back, and for some reason did not reward Krzysztof Krol's play. Dasan Robinson was hurt. Umanzor did not display many intangibles. Rookie center back Kwame Watson-Siriboe is still a raw unknown. Right back Steven Kinney had a good first year and has some potential.

But for the most part the back line was inconsistent and prone to a key error. There are several question marks within this defense moving forward. GRADE: D

Midfield: The Fire's biggest losses after the 2009 season were in the midfield, with Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe departing the team. But typical forward Patrick Nyarko stepped into the midfield role early on and was Chicago's top player this season with a team-high 10 assists. Marco Pappa scored seven goals, though his shot selection was poor. Logan Pause was steady in defensive midfield.

The Fire brought in Freddie Ljungberg in the midfield and up front, and he brought some intensity and experience that was lacking. Baggio Husidic scored five goals, but he was rarely used in the final third of the season. John Thorrington's continual injury bug is frustrating.

The midfield still lacks a person who has the confidence and stubbornness that Blanco had. GRADE: C

Forward: The Fire took some risks up front and they did not get the production they were hoping for with Nery Castillo and Collins John. John showed he was good for maybe a strong shot or two on goal, but he could not maintain that prowess for an entire match. The out-of-shape Castillo had maybe one mediocre performance, while his other seven ranged from poor to embarrassing.

Brian McBride scored six goals in a more limited role that included only 18 starts. Calen Carr's production probably was more than what some were expecting. He tallied just as many goals as John in about half the playing time.

Castillo and John are still young, and that is the saving grace for Chicago. Both have shown that they can play the game at a high level before. They just didn't show it for the Fire in 2010. GRADE: C-minus

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's season has boiled down to six regular-season matches and a playoff picture that just about is burnt to a crisp.

It could be argued that the Fire's current winless stretch (0-5-2) tops the organization's all-time woeful list, and they'll attempt to put an end to their drought Wednesday, when they travel to Santa Clara, Calif., to face the San Jose Earthquakes.

The seven-match winless skid is the second worst among the Fire's 13 seasons, following only a nine-game winless stretch in 2004 -- the only season the Fire missed the postseason.

Their four-game stretch without a goal is the longest in team history. Chicago's last goal was Collins John's 88th-minute free kick during a 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sept. 4. That briefly gave Chicago the lead until Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez headed in the game-tying goal in second-half stoppage time off of a Landon Donovan free kick.

For the season, Chicago's scoring average (1.17) currently is the second-lowest behind only the 2007 season (1.03 average). And the Fire's minus-4 goal differential is third-worst behind the 2004 (minus-8) and 2007 (minus-5) teams.

Despite their slump, Fire players at face value are maintaining a positive tone, even if their self synopsis can be disputed.

"I think we were organized for the most part," Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson said following the Fire's 1-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday. "Early on they had one open header, but we were fine defensively. We were unlucky. Just one play ended up with a deflection of the ball into the back of the net. I think defensively we were fine for the whole game. Teams create chances, and we dealt with them accordingly."

"We dominated the whole game," Freddie Ljungberg said. "We played really well."

Ljungberg's take does not come close to matching what most folks saw in the Toyota Park stands or in press row. And as the Fire (6-10-8) try to right the ship, the Earthquakes (11-7-6) are riding a 5-1-1 stretch.

The Fire will face a couple of familiar faces in former Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch and defender Tim Ward. They have taken care of the defensive side, while Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski has almost single-handedly been San Jose's offense this season. He leads the team with 12 goals and has scored six times in his past seven matches.

Chicago designated player Nery Castillo is out again with a left quad injury. Castillo has only played in three matches and logged 124 minutes since he made his Aug. 8 debut against the New York Red Bulls.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's next two games truly will paint the picture of whether there is a glimmer of hope to the remainder of this season. But even with back-to-back wins, a typical Fire postseason is a long shot.

The Fire host Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday at Toyota Park, then head out west to take on the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday. The Sounders and Quakes are the two teams tied at the bottom of the playoff picture, with 36 points apiece heading into the weekend.

"These next two are especially big," Fire forward Calen Carr said. "Well, they're all huge, man. These ones are no bigger than the last two or the next two after."

The Fire are in the midst of a six-game winless streak. With a 6-9-8 record and 26 points, Chicago needs to make up a double-digit points deficit just to reach the postseason cutoff point -- assuming everyone in front falters. With seven matches to go, the Fire likely need five or six wins among their final seven regular-season games just to have a slim chance at the postseason.

"Every year I've been here, we've been in the playoffs," Carr said. "Usually the Eastern Conference Finals. That's the bar. The goal is to take it to the next level, not to go backwards. That's troubling, and I think that's something that's on everybody's mind."

The thought of potentially missing the postseason for only the second time in Fire history is the remaining drive for a team that bleeds tradition, honor and passion as its motto.

"We have the obligation to put 100 percent on the field," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "This is the situation, for our fans and for our club. We need to show them our commitment in each other. We need to fight for these seven games with honor."

"We haven't been able to just -- throughout full stretches of games or weeks -- outplay or dominate teams in the league," Carr said. "At this point, we need to fight our way for everything, every loose ball, everything we can get. I think that energy will lead to playing better and lead to half chances, scrappy goals, whatever it takes."

This Saturday against Seattle, the Fire potentially are looking at a one-striker setup that the team used earlier this season. Nery Castillo has missed some training because of a hamstring injury. And on Wednesday, De los Cobos indicated that he could go with a heavy midfield setup with Marco Pappa, Patrick Nyarko, Freddie Ljungberg, Bratislav Ristic and Logan Pause, with Collins John as the lone forward.

"When we started the season, we had this shape and had good moments," De los Cobos said. "I need to decide if we should play with two forwards or only one forward, depending on what's happening with Nery."

Last week, Seattle posted a convincing 4-0 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Columbus Crew. Blaise Nkufo netted a hat trick, and it was the team's largest margin of victory in MLS play. The Sounders are 5-0-1 when Nkufo has started.

The Fire and Sounders met up at Qwest Field on Aug. 28, and Fredy Montero tallied two goals to lead Seattle to a 2-1 victory. Chicago's defense broke down in both instances against Montero, leaving him completely unmarked for the game-winner in second-half stoppage time.

Chicago center defensive back Wilman Conde is serving his one-game suspension for picking up two yellow cards during the Fire's recent 1-0 loss to Real Salt Lake. It is expected that Dasan Robinson will team up with C.J. Brown at center back.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire had a gift at the start of the second half -- a breakaway scoring opportunity with one of their most trusted players on the ball.

But Freddie Ljungberg couldn't finish the chance as the Fire and Toronto FC played to a scoreless draw Wednesday in front of 12,891 at Toyota Park.

"It's a pity that the team didn't win a match that we could have won," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "We had two or three very good opportunities that we couldn't finish. But from my point of view I saw improvement from our defense. The team played very strong and we had a very good team in front of us."

Neither squad put much on net until the final 15 to 20 minutes. The Fire (6-7-8) and Reds (7-9-7) had some chances here and there, and the biggest opportunity was in Chicago's favor.

In the 48th minute, Chicago's two designated players nearly hooked up in the scoring column. Nery Castillo dished to Ljungberg who ran right up the middle and timed his run perfectly against Toronto's defensive line. That left Ljungberg and Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei going head-to-head.

Frei leaned to his right and Ljungberg shot in the other direction, forcing Frei to stick his feet at the ball. It didn't matter, however, as the ball trickled harmlessly past the right post.

That pretty much was the tone of Wednesday's match -- a messy battle between two Eastern Conference teams trying to find a formula to move up in the standings.

Toronto possessed the ball for the majority of the first 15 minutes. In the 15th, the Fire finally were on the attack when Collins John had a couple chances. He took a deep shot and then followed up the rebound, but his second attempt was blocked by the Toronto defense.

The Fire held a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Analysis: Neither team could establish flow on the pitch, and in the opening of the match you wondered if Chicago would hold Toronto at bay with its unexpected defensive combination.

De los Cobos' lineup had to play without regular left back Gonzalo Segares, who served the first of his two-game suspension. Dasan Robinson and C.J. Brown were in the center, Steven Kinney on the right and Mike Banner pushed between left midfield and left defensive back. Wilman Conde eventually entered the match in the midfield for John Thorrington, and Krzysztof Krol did not play.

Robinson had a strong performance, and he intercepted several key potential threats from Toronto forward Dwayne De Rosario. Castillo also looks like his play is getting stronger. He's covering more ground and showing some hustle, all the way until second-half stoppage time when he managed to draw a foul just outside the box.

Bradley on hand: Former Fire and current U.S. National Team head coach Bob Bradley dropped by Toyota Park on Wednesday. He and the U.S. host Poland at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Soldier Field. Bradley was not scouting anyone in particular at the Chicago-Toronto match.

Bradley did have a couple of comments about a current and former Fire player:

On ex-Fire player DaMarcus Beasley, currently playing for Hannover 96: "This is an important move for DaMarcus because clearly his stretch at Rangers didn't end well. And he's at that point in his career where he's got to find the right club. He's got to continue to work very hard. I think his future with the national team is going to hinge on his ability now at Hannover to reestablish himself and play well."

On Fire forward Brian McBride, who is retiring after the season: "His attitude on the field and his will to win I think has really set just a great standard. ... I wish all players would have that mentality. He's just been a great example, and his career has been very special."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Nearly a month has passed since midfielder Freddie Ljungberg bid adieu to Seattle Sounders FC and welcomed the Chicago Fire with open arms.

Ljungberg returns to his former Seattle stomping grounds this Saturday when the Fire take on the Sounders at Qwest Field.

Qwest draws MLS's largest fan attendance and plays in one of the loudest venues the league has to offer. Ljungberg could hear a much different tone than he was used to earlier this season and last year when he played in his first MLS campaign with Seattle.

"In the stands you'll probably get some cheers and some boos," the Sweden native said. "That's probably what it's like. Back home, wherever you went you got booed everywhere. It just makes you want to play more. So it's not a problem."

The irony of this trip is that Seattle has been on a tear of late without Ljungberg. The Sounders (8-8-5) are in the midst of a six-match unbeaten streak (4-0-2). Chicago (6-6-6) is looking to shake of a 4-3 loss to the Houston Dynamo that included a horrendous first half, followed by an improved second half.

"The second half, I think we played extremely well," Ljungberg said. "That's probably the best we've played since I've been here. We controlled the game totally."

Seattle is not as invincible as last year at Qwest, but the Sounders still have a respectable 5-4-2 mark on their home turf.

"I'm never happy when I have to play on turf," Fire defender Gonzalo Segares said. "It's completely different. You cannot play soccer over there. They're really used to that field, so they use that to their advantage. We've just got to go there and get motivated. If we play as well as the little moments we had in Houston [in the second half], where we created a lot of chances, I think we can come out of there with points."

The timing of Segares' recent return is a benefit this weekend because Chicago has to play without defender Wilman Conde, who is out because of yellow card accumulation. That gives the Fire options to either go with Segares inside for Conde's spot and Krzysztof Krol on the left, or allows for Segares to stay at left back Krol or Kwame Watson-Siriboe in the middle.

Though Chicago came up short in set-piece situations the last time around, the Fire defense appears to have enough reinforcements to overcome Conde's absence now that Segares is in the fold again.

"You almost sit there and say, 'why did he ever leave?'" Fire center defensive back C.J. Brown said. "I'm happy with it. He's a good guy, good player. He stays focused. It's been an easy transition to have him come back."

Right defensive back Dasan Robinson is out with a hamstring injury, so rookie Steven Kinney should get the nod in the starting lineup.

Fire designated player Nery Castillo did not travel, as he has been held back to work on his fitness. While some could argue that an in-game setting is invaluable toward assisting Castillo's fitness, the few moments he has been utilized in games have had a negative effect on the flow of his position.

On Friday, the Fire released forward Stefan Dimitrov. Dimitrov did not contribute much this season. He played in portions of five MLS matches and logged only 67 minutes.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Chicago Fire forward Calen Carr made his return a memorable one.

Carr netted a game-winning goal in the 85th minute as the Fire defeated the New England Revolution, 2-1, on Thursday in front of 14,056 at Toyota Park. The match was Carr's first since a scoreless draw between the host Revs and the Fire on Oct. 17, 2009.

Carr injured his quad at the end of this year's preseason when the team was in Mexico. But he slowly but surely has battled his way back, and Carr's goal gave the Fire (6-5-6) three well-deserved points against Eastern Conference foe New England (6-10-3).

"It's been a tough road where my quad would feel better, then it would feel worse, and then better, then worse," Carr said. "I finally broke through the barrier and I've been training for some weeks now. I feel great."

The front line made an aggressive run upfield during Carr's goal. Freddie Ljungberg fueled the attack and fed to Carr who surged ahead and cut to his right toward the middle of the pitch. He hit a low shot from just outside of the box and drove the ball past Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis, finding the left side of the goal for the game-winner.

"[Ljungberg] got the ball and I just drifted out wide to the left," Carr said. "I cut inside, and was originally going to go to the far post and saw the defender coming. So I decided to come back across the face of the goal. The rest ... thankfully it went in."

Carr's goal capped off a strong Fire comeback, after falling behind early because of a defensive mishap. It was Chicago's first win this season after conceding the match's first goal.

Fire midfielder Baggio Husidic tallied his fourth goal of the season in the 32nd minute to tie score at 1-1. Husidic's goal was typical of his other tallies -- right place at the right time when he faced Reis one-on-one, following Brian McBride's pass from the top of the box.

"Brian slid me in and I think the only option was either to go through the legs or chip it," Husidic said. "I went for the chip and it worked."

The win erased a blunder from Fire defender Wilman Conde, who has been prone to a few big mistakes during the season. He slipped when trying to change direction with the ball in the 16th. That parted the sea for Revs forward Marko Perovic, who dribbled around Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and found the inside of the far left post for a 1-0 lead.

It marked the first goal allowed from Johnson in the run of play in the rookie's three MLS starts. Needless to say, Johnson could not do much to avoid the Perovic goal.

For the first time this season, the Fire's designated player duo of Ljungberg and Nery Castillo started together. It marked Castillo's first MLS start, but it was a mostly forgettable outing that included some unusual reads on some crosses from the right side. Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos decided to take him out after 45 minutes, going with Mike Banner in the second half.

Analysis: The mantra of Fire soccer over the past couple of seasons had been some positive advantages, but many times coming up short of a win or making a costly mistake.

It nearly held true until Carr completed Chicago's comeback. And while Carr and Husidic did get the glory on the scoreboard, it was Ljungberg who basically energized this team from whistle to whistle.

It is refreshing to watch the 33-year-old Ljungberg -- the amount of ground he covers from side to side and his energy level. Ljungberg played a big role in both goals. And then there were moments where Ljungberg generated some applause for simply his continual drive, such as the 49th minute. He had a good 15- to 20-second stint where he tried to get through several Revs defenders. And even when it seemed hopeless, Ljungberg somehow managed to get a corner kick out of it.

The Fire still are without a couple pieces of the roster, particularly midfielder Patrick Nyarko. Chicago compensated for Nyarko's absence, and Ljungberg is the man to thank for fueling the squad.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Following the Chicago Fire's scoreless draw against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, one thing was glaringly clear -- New York looked like the tighter, cohesive group.

Saying so does not imply that the Fire do not have that characteristic inside of them. On the contrary, with an acquisition such as a Freddie Ljungberg, that type of talent will bond and energize the 11-man grouping on the pitch.

The Fire are just past the midway point of the season with 16 matches and a 5-5-6 record, and this team has some good pieces in place. But the cohesiveness will need to form relatively quickly for a strong second-half run. And at the moment, the Fire still are on the outside of the postseason picture if the regular season wrapped up today.

"We're now getting to the point of the season where we can't drop many points," Fire defensive midfielder Logan Pause said. "We've got to start making up some ground."

This has been an unusual season to witness in Chicago because the Fire's most recent teams were static. The lineups and returning players were pretty similar. The formation and game plan were relatively unchanged. Former Fire head coach Denis Hamlett had his methods and he pretty much stuck to his guns.

The 2010 season feels like it got a late start, as though the Fire still were in preseason mode several weeks in. From preseason to their current position, Chicago is onto its third goalkeeper. And the third time appears to be the charm with rookie Sean Johnson, who has impressed in the few moments he has had in MLS and non-league play. Two of Johnson's saves this past weekend are up for MLS Save of the Week.

When defender Gonzalo Segares rejoins the Fire, Chicago will switch up its left defensive back position once again -- a position that had a bunch of players in the mix in the early going. Segares is the best choice.

That brings us to the middle and offensive thirds, and a midfield that has dearly missed Patrick Nyarko's creativity and speed. On paper, if Nyarko can patrol the right side, Marco Pappa on the left, with designated players Ljungberg and Nery Castillo in the middle, and either Brian McBride or Collins John up top, that's one lethal offense ...

On paper.

That is just the thing. For the promising upgrades Chicago made in getting two designated players and Segares, this team has not had much of an opportunity to find a set cohesive roster.

The talent is there, but based on this past weekend, New York has adjusted to its changes much more smoothly. Remember, the Red Bulls won only five matches last year.

On Sunday, they were stronger on the ball and stronger with their movement away from the ball. Even when Thierry Henry left the match with a groin injury just before halftime, the Red Bulls worked solidly together following the break. Macoumba Kandji didn't have too many touches in the first half, but in the second he was very involved. Kandji also should have had a goal early in the second half as Chicago played a defensive game the rest of the way.

"I think it's just a combination of we weren't good enough with the ball, keeping possession, to allow our defenders to move up the field," Pause said. "When we turned the ball over, our line was well into our own half, and as guys got more tired, it became a little harder for us to get pressure on the ball. The common theme that usually happens is the team drops so deep. So those are things we're trying to work on."

New York had everything but the victory. The 22-5 shots and 7-1 shots-on-goal advantages were enormously lopsided in the Red Bulls' favor.

Credit should be given to the Fire for making some necessary personnel moves. Fire technical director Frank Klopas maximized on the summer transfer window at a moment when folks were questioning if they had enough to salvage this season and make their customary run into the postseason.

On paper, Chicago looks good. But Sunday showed that Castillo's fitness level is not there. The match showed that the Fire need Nyarko, who continues to battle concussion symptoms. The match showed that they need some more consistency from players such as Pappa, who can dazzle for one game and then have a disappointing effort -- such as Sunday's match -- the next.

First-year Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos has made his share of lineup and formation changes. If Chicago is on the cusp of finding all of the right ingredients, maybe De los Cobos will not have to keep stirring the pot.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- One year ago, the New York Red Bulls were the laughingstock of MLS, and Sunday's matchup would have been a dud on the Chicago Fire's calendar. But things have changed dramatically since then.

A combined five designated players could take the pitch and Toyota Park possibly will have a sellout crowd on hand when the Fire host New York in a match jam-packed with anticipation (8 p.m. CT kickoff, ESPN2).

The Red Bulls have taken full advantage of the league's designated player rule using the three-player maximum: Juan Pablo Angel, Mexican National Team captain Rafael Marquez and Frenchman Thierry Henry. The Fire recently brought in two designated players in the past several weeks in Nery Castillo and Freddie Ljungberg.

"It won't be easy because they strengthened the team with new players like Henry and Rafa Marquez," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "But if we want to qualify, we need to show that we can win these kinds of matches."

The familiarity among the designated players adds to the glamour of this match. Castillo and Marquez have been Mexican national squad teammates, and Ljungberg and Henry played together at Arsenal.

"He's a great friend of mine -- we've been texting a lot of times during this week and the last couple of weeks," Ljungberg said of Henry. "It's going to be fun to play against ... I'm not saying fun to play against, but fun to meet each other again. It'll be weird to play against each other."

Just last year, the Red Bulls posted a dismal 5-19-6 record. Now, New York finds itself in second place in the Eastern Conference with an 8-6-3 record, seven points ahead of fourth-place Chicago.

The Fire (5-5-5) have aggressively pieced together additions and changes to their roster. Aside from their two designated player signings, they are bringing back defender Gonzalo Segares, and they elected to go with rookie goalkeeper Sean Johnson manning the net against the Los Angeles Galaxy and in the final two matches in SuperLiga.

It should be interesting to see how De los Cobos plays to the abilities of Castillo and Ljungberg.

"These guys have similar qualities, but the important thing is to try to play together," De los Cobos said. "I am thinking about what the best shape of the lineup is for the team. I think it's necessary for these two guys to know each other and play together, because they have very strong qualities in the attack."

"I think what they want is for me to be more central like I've been in Seattle," Ljungberg said. "I was like that sometimes in England when we needed to maybe control the game a bit more. So I think that's what they want me to do, to try to play the ball and get a good game going."

The Fire are 5-0-1 against the Red Bulls at Toyota Park, but this is not the Red Bulls of a year ago. Chicago and New York have taken advantage of this transfer window and strengthened themselves for an important second half of the season.

Sunday should be a treat to see the heightened talent levels of both squads.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Following a three-week hiatus from league play, the Chicago Fire are back in the MLS grind for the remainder of the year when they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at The Home Depot Center.

The Fire made some big changes toward the end of July with the addition of two designated players in Nery Castillo and Freddie Ljungberg. And now Chicago is met with a significant test facing an L.A. squad that is leading the Western Conference with a 12-2-4 record and 40 points.

"It's definitely the biggest game of the year," Fire midfielder Patrick Nyarko said. "Even before the season, we were looking up to this game. They're an elite team and pretty much dominating the entire league. We have our work cut out for us, especially over there."

The Fire (4-4-5) are moving forward from a June 29 to July 20 stretch that included a U.S. Open Cup loss, two league losses and a 1-2 record in SuperLiga group play.

"I trust we'll have a good second half of the season," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said. "With Nery Castillo coming to play with us, I think he'll be good for the team and help us in some situations in the attack. ... We [missed out on] a lot of points in the first half of the season. We need to try to recover and meet our objective to qualify [for the playoffs]."

The potential debut of the Fire's DPs is split for Sunday. Ljungberg is a game-time option for De los Cobos. But Castillo did not travel with the team to the west coast.

The Fire's starting goalkeeper situation has been deciphered all week, and De los Cobos' decision remains unknown for Sunday. Typical starting goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra has not been in the net since a 5-1 SuperLiga loss to Monarcas Morelia on July 14. Rookie goalkeeper Sean Johnson manned the net for the final two SuperLiga matches, and he had some reps with the first team during the course of training this week.

The best news for Chicago is a healthier roster to work with. The Fire ended SuperLiga with only four bench players in their finale. On the MLS injury report this week, the only person still out for Chicago is midfielder John Thorrington.

If Nyarko is up to speed (he was out for several weeks because of concussion symptoms), his creative ability will be the team's strongest pick-me-up heading into the match against the Galaxy.

Galaxy forward Edson Buddle has been dangerous this season and is on pace for a career year. He already has 12 goals, just three shy of his career-high 15 goals set in 2008. And Landon Donovan is only two assists away from matching his career-best 13 assists in 2007.

The Fire might be catching the Galaxy at the right moment. L.A. has not been as invincible as it once was earlier this year en route to a 10-0-2 start to the 2010 campaign. In league play, the Galaxy are coming off a fortunate 2-2 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. They also posted a 2-0 loss against the New England Revolution on July 10. And most recently L.A. was trounced by the Puerto Rico Islanders, 4-1, in CONCACAF Champions League action.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire officially introduced Mexican forward and designated player Nery Castillo at a press conference Thursday, and head coach Carlos de los Cobos made a proper point.

"Nery is not here to be a savior of the team. He's here to add to the team," De los Cobos said through a translator. "He's here to take part in the team. He will be an important part, and I'm sure that he is 100 percent committed to helping the team. One player cannot change the face or change the dynamic of the team, so we've got to continue working."

The Fire recently signed Castillo as the organization's second designated player, following in the footsteps of fellow Mexican midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco who played for Chicago from 2007-2009. Castillo does not have Blanco's iconic status in his homeland and abroad, but the 26-year-old is obviously expected to be a game-changing figure for Chicago as the team tries to improve its 4-5-5 record heading into the second half of the MLS season.

As Fire technical director Frank Klopas has mentioned on many occasions, the process to get Castillo took more than two years, with the first meeting taking place while Castillo was playing for Manchester City. When the Fire went back to him again, Castillo decided he would be on board.

"When the opportunity rose again and they showed interest in me, I didn't think twice about it," Castillo said. "And I knew that I was coming to a place where the coach played with my father, which was important for me, that I could be able to receive a lot of support from that standpoint."

Thursday marked Castillo's training debut with the Fire. He is trying to get acclimated to the team and adjust to the time and a new setting. Castillo is quickly trying to get up to speed to make himself available as soon as possible for the Fire.

The timing of his debut remains to be seen as the Fire prepare for Sunday's road match against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"It will be the coach's decision," Castillo said. "He'll be evaluating my training and he's the person that will make that decision."

Early on, Castillo will be mentioned in the same breath as Blanco for the sheer facts that they have worn the designated player tag and have represented Mexico at an international level. But Castillo is supposed to be in the prime of his playing career. Blanco's playing time -- now with Mexican second-division Irapuato -- is numbered.

"I know he was a very important player at this club, a very important player in Mexico and a very important player with the Mexican National Team," Castillo said of Blanco. "And I hope to do as much as he did, if not more -- win championships and bring titles here to Chicago."

"I feel strongly that the characteristics of this player will be a good complement to our team," De los Cobos said. "It falls in line with the characteristics that I try to instill. It will be very good for the club."

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire announced Saturday the addition of 26-year-old Nery Castillo, a native of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to the organization as a designated player. The team made the announcement following its 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution in SuperLiga play.

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