The Chicago Fire wrapped up the first half of their 2017 preseason camp on Friday, having picked up a pair of friendly wins among training sessions in both Chicago and Florida. With this weekend off to recover their minds and bodies ahead of two weeks in Bradenton, FL, see how the guys worked through the (unofficial) opening three weeks of the 2017 season.
Forward Nemanja Nikolic has been very open about sharing his first few weeks with the club via his instagram page, and he's certainly made his mark so far. A goal against Florida Gulf Coast in the team's first preseason friendly made the difference in a 1-0 win, and his assist on a Michael de Leeuw header proved crucial in the club's ensuing 1-0 win against the Philadelphia Union. Keep an eye on that tandem heading into the 2017 regular season.
Additionally, midfielder Dax McCarty arrived in camp last week after spending a month in U.S. National Team camp. McCarty was inserted right away, playing 72 minutes in the club's 1-0 win against Philadelphia just two days after arriving.
His midfield partner, Juninho, has turned heads during the first portion of preseason camp as well. I mean...
How he, McCarty and the rest of the Fire midfield continue to develop will be crucial as the team prepares for its 2017 regular season opener at Columbus on March 4.
Following the club's pair of preseason victories, they'll look ahead to four more warmup matches in the coming weeks ahead of opening day in Columbus.
But in the meantime...
...We'll keep looking ahead to the team's return to Toyota Park against Real Salt Lake on March 11.
