As the first leg of Chicago Fire FC’s 2022 preseason camp comes to a close this week, head coach Ezra Hendrickson and midfielder Federico Navarro met with members of the media on Wednesday to discuss their observations from Orlando.
“It's gone very well,” Hendrickson said. “We knew as a staff coming in that it's a lot of young, inexperienced players. And when you have that, you have some inconsistencies. But for the most part, you know, the progress has been on the upswing, where we want it to be.”
Since arriving in Florida on Jan. 17, the team has held two weeks’ worth of training sessions, played their first of four official friendly matches in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Minnesota United, and welcomed forward Kacper Przybyłko into the squad.
They’ll get a short break in Chicago this weekend, then turn around and head to Austin, Tx. for the second and final leg of preseason camp ahead of the team’s season opener at Inter Miami CF on Feb. 26.
“We've only had two weeks, but they've been really good weeks with some really good work being done,” Navarro said, via translator Elizabeth Sanchez.
This preseason camp is Navarro’s first with the Fire, having been a late Summer addition from Club Atlético Talleres last season. The 21-year-old Argentine showed flashes of his potential in midfield over his first 12 appearances in 2021, and is looking to take the next step ahead of his first full season in Major League Soccer.
“With Ezra, I've been able to start from zero, which I think is really good,” he added. “It's been good for us, because I get to know him a little bit better. I get to know what it is that he wants from me, what it is that he's asking from me and what it is he wants us all to do. And so now it's up to me to try to meet his demands.”
“You expect sometimes it will be up and down - and there are times when you see a little bit of that - but the majority of times we see improvement from a day-to-day basis,” Hendrickson said of the team’s progress through two weeks. “The key thing for us is that - what we're trying to teach and how we're trying to play - the players love that and they've bought into it. So they're willing to do the work but we need to improve.”
Hendrickson noted on Tuesday’s call that newly acquired defender Raphael Czichos would be arriving in camp at last that afternoon after a delay in his VISA process had prevented him from joining the team to this point. The experienced German is expected to raise the level along the back line and help guide the development of the young roster currently at Hendrickson’s disposal.
“The new players that come in are very good players,” Navarro said, referencing 2022 newcomers like Przybyłko, Jhon Durán, Homegrown trio Victor Bezerra, Sergio Oregel, and Missael Rodríguez, and the handful of Chicago Fire Academy players training with the team in Florida.
“They work hard, and they come out of training sessions even better than the last one. This is new for them, but it's new for us, too, with the new coaching staff. And I do have to reiterate that the coaching staff works really hard, and they work really hard to put everything on the field. Now we just have to go and take their direction and do our best."
The Fire are set to play three more preseason friendlies when they arrive in Austin - first against Toronto FC on Feb. 12, followed by meetings with FC Dallas (Feb. 16), and Austin FC (Feb. 19).
While Hendrickson will look for continued daily improvement during the team’s stay in Texas, he addressed the work being done to make further additions to the squad ahead of Feb. 26. Major League Soccer's primary transfer window remains open until the first week of May, meaning European players can continue to be added to MLS rosters until then despite the European window closing on Monday.
“We're very patient but we know that there are some spots that we've identified that we need to improve on,” he said. “Those talks are ongoing with several players, and hopefully the sooner the better. Before you know it, Feb. 26 will be here, and we hope to get these players in before then so we can have going into the season a full squad of the players that we think we need.”
“The players that we have in camp right now, we have to prepare with them as if we're going to start the season with them. And then whatever additions we make, then that becomes a plus for us.”
In the meantime, Navarro is remaining focused on using his time in camp to improve his own game. Any new arrival that might help the team take its next collective step while they're in Austin would be more than fine in his book.
“The mentality of the group and in the locker room is always going to be positive, whoever may come,” he said. “We all feel the same way. We're all synchronized with the same thought process that whether you're able to play or whether you're not able to play, it's always good to have new people come in.”
“Whoever comes is very welcome. We're ready for him to join the club. We're ready for any new players that come, so they can add to the team and we all can keep moving forward.”
