The Fire enter the offseason in a familiar spot, trying to patch theholes that once again kept them from a playoff berth. With a vacant designated player slot and clear needs, the Fire should be busy before next spring.
Goalkeeper
Coach Ezra Hendrickson seemed to shut the door on Gabriel Slonina spending time on loan with the Fire next year, saying he’s “gone”during a postseason media availability.
With Slonina apparently out of the picture, the Fire will need to find another goalie. Chris Brady is the early favorite to replace Slonina as the starter, while backup Spencer Richey is also under contract.
How the Fire actually feel about Brady should be clear when they sign another goalie: if it’s an experienced veteran, that might indicate they think Brady needs more time. If it’s an unheralded journeyman or young project, the job is Brady’s to lose.
Defender
Veteran right back Boris Sekulic is out of contract, and the Fire will look for his replacement. The in-house options aren’t appealing, sothe Fire will be searching for somebody to take his spot. Sekulic spent three steady but unspectacular years with the Fire.
The rest of the back line should be more stable, though during the season the Fire were reportedly linked with Silkeborg IF’s center back Tobias Salquist. Like everywhere else, adding depth should be a goal, even if the defense was a relative strength in 2022.
Midfielder
The Fire look set deep in the midfield with Gaston Gimenez and Federico Navarro. Gimenez’s health will be worth watching after season-ending hamstring surgery, but his new deal that means he’s no longer a DP should lessen expectations on a player who has divided opinions among Fire fans and observers.
Mauricio Pineda can provide cover for Gimenez if he’s not fully healthy and is also dependable on the back line.
Further up the field, the Fire are locked into Xherdan Shaqiri, Chris Mueller, Jairo Torres and Brian Gutierrez. Additional options for Hendrickson wouldn’t be a bad thing, but the Fire don’t need to make a splash here.
Striker
This is the most intriguing position entering the offseason.
After Kacper Przybylko flopped and could be sent out of town this winter, it would seem like the Fire clearly need to add a proven performer who can produce as the lone striker in Hendrickson’s 4-2-3-1 formation. This is where that open DP spot could come into play, and a good signing would provide goals that Przybylko didn’t. If that acquisition is a big name who could draw fans to Soldier Field and SeatGeek Stadium, all the better.
However, the future of young star Jhon Duran complicates matters. If Duran stays for another full season, there’s a compelling argument that he should be handed the starting job, which theoretically would allow the Fire to use the DP spot somewhere else on the field or keep it in their pocket until the summer.
Duran staying, though, is a big question mark because of his desire to jump to Europe and the reported interest from major clubs across the Atlantic. If Duran leaves this winter, there’s no question where the Fire should use that DP slot.
