Football Season Guide

With the 2015 season ending in poor fashion for the Chicago Fire, 2016 would prove to be no better, with Valjko Paunovic’s side finding themselves rock bottom of the Major League Soccer table, with just 31 points to their name. Recording just 7 wins all season, the Fire’s fans would have been significantly disappointed with their team’s display, with the side from the windy city only managing to find the back of the net on 42 occasions throughout the season. It’s extremely hard to tell where Chicago will end up this season, considering that they have parted ways with a number of players over the winter period, while only adding a few additions. They have however managed to keep hold of some of their key members, with the likes of David Accam, Arturo Alvarez and John Goossens all remaining. The signing of Nemanja Nikolic could prove to be a huge one for Chicago, with the Hungarian striker finding the back of the net a total of 40 times in 56 appearance for Legia Warsaw last season. Dax McCarty will also be a welcomed addition from the New York Red Bulls, with the American midfielder bringing in well over 200 games of Major League Soccer experience. Former LA Galaxy star Juninho should prove to be an experienced pair of legs in the centre of the park, while young signings Jorge Bava, and Djordje Mihailovic will inject some youth into the side. The loss of key goalkeeper Sean Johnson will certainly be a blow for the Fire, with their regular stopper leaving a few months ago. Khaly Thiam and Rodrigo Ramos also depart following the expiry of their loans, which is a loss for them considering how well the pair settled in last season. With a tough away trip to Columbus on the opening day of the season, it will be interesting to see how Veljko Paunovic decides to structure his side.